It was a festival of lights, color, and glamour at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos as film and TV royalty from across Africa graced the eighth edition of the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards on Saturday.

Actress Funke Akindele won the Best Actress award in a Comedy movie or TV series while actor Ramsey Nouah won the award for Best Director.

Popular social media comic, Emmanuel Ejekwu, popularly known as Oga Sabinus, became the first-ever recipient of the Best Online Social Content Creator, a newly created award category.

As part of the entertainment for the night, veteran afrobeat musician, Lagbaja, alongside Mavin superstar, Rema, thrilled the audience on the night.


Here is the full list of winners:

Best Actress In a Drama

Osas Ighodaro – Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story

Best Actor in a Drama

Stan Nze – Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story

Best Actress in a Comedy (Movie/TV Series)

Funke Akindele-Bello – Omo Ghetto the Saga

Best Actor in a Comedy (Movie/TV Series)

Broda Shaggi – Dwindle

Best Supporting Actress (Movie/TV Series)

Omowummi Dada – Country Hard

Best Supporting Actor (Movie/TV Series)

Odunlade Adekola – Jankariwo

AMVCA Trailblazer Award

Teniola Blades

Best Director

Ramsey Nouah – Rattle Snake: The Ahanna Story

Best Art Director (Movie/TV series)

Tunji Afolayan – Amina

Best Picture Editor

Tunde Apalowo – For Maria Ebun Pataki

Best Sound Editor (Movie/TV series)

Jim Lively and James Nelson – Amina

Best Lighting Designer (Movie/TV Series)

Mathew Yusuf for Rattlesnake- The Ahanna Story

Best Writer (Movie/TV Series)

Manie Oiseomaye, Donald Tombia, and Biodun Stephen – Introducing The Kujus

Best Cinematographer

Muhammed Atta Ahmed – Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story

Best Makeup

Balogun Abiodun – Omo Ghetto The Saga

Best Costume Designer

Millicent T. Jack – Amina

Best Indigenous Language Movie or TV Series (Swahili)

Freddy Feruzi – Obambo

Best Indigenous Language Movie or TV Series (Hausa)

Rogers Time – Voiceless

Best Indigenous Language Movie or TV Series (Yoruba)

David Akande, Demola Yusuf, and Edgard Leroy – Alasie

Best Indigenous Language Movie or TV Series (Igbo)

Uche Nnanna Maduka – ‘Nne-Ka

Best Television Series (Drama/ Comedy)

Rogers Time – The Mystic River

Best Documentary

Saitabao Kaiyare, Mumo Liku, Elena Schilling, Daniella Fritz, and Ann Katrina Boberg – If Objects Could Speak

Best Short Film Or Online Video

Taiwo Ogunnimo – I Am The Prostitute Mama Described

Best Online Social Content Creator

Oga Sabinus – Mr. Funny

Best Movie (Southern Africa)

Hairareb – Dantagos Jimmy-Melani

Best Movie (East Africa)

The Girl In The Yellow Jumper – Morocco Omar

Best Movie (West Africa)

Bolanle Austen-Peters and Joseph Umoibom – Collision Course

Best Soundtrack (Movie/TV Series)

Pascal Aka and Raquel – Gold Coast Lounge

Best Africa Magic Original Comedy Series

The Johnsons

Best Africa Magic Original Drama Series

Dimbo Atiya – The Rishantes’

…as PBT rises by 624.4% and revenue grows by 77.4% 

…Hospitality giant reports revenue of N7bn and gross profit of N5.1bn 

Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s top hospitality company and a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc. (Transcorp Group) has ended Q1 2022 with an impressive result, reporting a 77.4% growth in revenue to N7.04 billion from N3.97 billion in the same period in 2021. The hospitality company which owns the iconic Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Transcorp Hotels Calabar, and the online booking platform aura by Transcorp Hotels, also recorded more than 600% growth in profit before tax (PBT) to N1.067 billion from a loss of N203.7 million in the same period last year.

The result is contained in the Company’s Unaudited Financial Statements for the period ended 31 March 2022, published on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX).

Commenting on the results, Mrs. Dupe Olusola, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Hotels Plc, expressed confidence in the Company’s ability to sustain its growth trajectory.

“Our first-quarter performance was driven by our relentless innovation in all facets of our business, creating new and tailored business and leisure offerings, while consistently improving guest experience to ensure maximum value for every spend. This has seen us record continuous growth from January through March. Our leisure business remains strong on the back of strategies employed following the pandemic, even as our International Business Travellers continue to show impressive recovery. Q1 ended with RevPAR growth of 74.4% when compared with Q1 2021, and an ADR growth of 19.1%, even as we continue to outperform industry average,” Dupe Olusola said.

Looking ahead, we expect to continue to see improvements through the second quarter, as we remain committed to delivering exceptional services and increasing access to luxurious hospitality, in keeping with our mission of redefining hospitality in Africa. Also, as COVID-19 restrictions continue to reduce, we expect business travel to accelerate which would further supplement the buoyant leisure business,” the Managing Director/CEO added.”

In her comments, the Chief Finance Officer, Mrs. Oluwatobiloba Ojediran, highlighted the outstanding performance of the Company, stressing that the Group was able to strategically contain costs of operation to achieve the optimal results.

“A notable level of operational efficiency was witnessed during the quarter, as the operating expense margin reduced from 58% in Q1 2021 to 45% in Q1 2022, despite the impressive 77% year-on-year growth in Revenue. Also, the Gross profit margin was sustained at 73%,” Mrs. Ojediran said.

“This is amidst Nigeria’s inflation rate which climbed to 15.92% in March 2022, from 15.6% in December 2021, the fastest rise in consumer prices since last October 2021. Also, the prices of diesel, which is used to power most businesses, more than doubled within the same period.

As demand continues to rise, the hospitality company has disclosed plans to expedite the commencement of planned developments in Lagos and Port Harcourt, even as it continues to expand its reach via its online booking platform, aura by Transcorp Hotels, which allows people to book hotels and short let apartments, experiences, and order food anywhere in Nigeria. The Company is also developing a world-class event center at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

About Transcorp Hotels Plc.

Transcorp Hotels Plc.  is one of Africa’s leading hospitality companies, committed to redefining hospitality standards. Transcorp Hotels is the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc. (Transcorp Group). The Company’s hotels include the award-winning Transcorp Hilton Abuja and Transcorp Hotels Calabar. It also owns Aura, an online platform for booking accommodation, food, and memorable lifestyle experiences.

Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, caused a stir on social media when he announced his second marriage to fellow actress, Judy Austin, on Wednesday.

In his announcement, Yul also revealed that he has welcomed a son with his second wife.

Yul’s first wife of 17 years, May, has reacted to the news of her husband’s second marriage, as she called on the judgment of God over the union.

Taking to the comment section of her husband’s post, she wrote, “May God judge you both.”

While announcing his new son, Yul Edochie added that he loves the child as much as he loved his older four children, which he shared with his first wife, May.

Edochie wrote, “It’s time for the world to meet my son. His name is STAR DIKE MUNACHIMSO YUL-EDOCHIE. Born to my second wife, Judy Austin. And I love him so much, just as much as I love my other children.”

Yul, the last child of veteran actor, Pete Edochie, married his first wife at the young age of 22.

He followed in his father’s footsteps and made his debut in the movie industry a year after his marriage.

Their 17-year-old marriage is blessed with four children Danielle, Kambi, Karl, and Victory Edochie.