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Linda Ikeji launches social network, plans to pay top users

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Africa’s most famous news and gossip writers Linda Ikeji is on the move to take on Facebook with her own social network, which she says gotten over 50,000 sign-ups on the first day.

Linda Ikeji, a former model says her social network, LIS (Linda Ikeji Social) has something others lack: a one-stop shop for everything online. “About 30-40 million Nigerians are now online, and they go through so many sites,” Ikeji told CNN. “They go to Facebook for connecting with friends. They come to my blog to read the news. They buy and sell things and go to places like Nairaland where they exchange opinions.” Just six days in, the network has 86,000 followers. Within the next five years, Ikeji said she hopes to be the new Facebook.

linda ikeji

Linda Ikeji “Facebook is my competition,” said the businesswoman, who is famous for her tabloid reporting, which many have criticized for promoting gossip and lacking in credibility. Celebrities have said in the past that Ikeji makes up stories, while others have accused her of plagiarism. Apart from her controversial ways, she differs from Facebook in another major way, however. The plan is to pay people who gain a lot of followers on the site. “Once they have 50,000 followers on their page, we will automatically start monetizing it. That means we will put our client’s banners on the page and pay you a commission from what they pay us.” The cash incentives are paid out to the so-called ‘wallet’ — a section on the network where people add their bank account details. It remains to be seen if anyone will hit that high. For now, she will pay out a weekly share of her advertising revenue to the most popular accounts, she says. “Next week we are putting N20,000 ($63) each into 50 people’s wallets,” Ikeji said. The network also plans to pay users N8,000 (around $25) for original news content.

The aim of the business is to give back to the online community. The strategy could mean good money for users, and the social network who gets help with attracting people to sign-up. A win win, she explains. “Being on social networking sites make the (site) owners billionaires. You being on our site will make us money, but at the same time we will share some of that money with you.” A million dollar business. Ikeji is everywhere in the online sphere, with 1.32 million Twitter followers and 796,000 following her Instagram account. It all started 10 years ago, when she was modeling, and came across a blog post about herself. “I liked it and I wanted to start my own blog.” Back then, blogs were more personal accounts of people’s lives, she said. “I wanted something more interesting.

I wanted to do gossip and news, and I gave them something different.” Already a celebrity, it quickly drew a lot of readers. “It was like a celebrity blog: people knew who I was and were very interested in what I had to say.” It seems to have worked. Today her blog has around 7 million page views per day and is especially popular with Nigerians living abroad in countries such as China, Dubai and the U.S., according to Ikeji. “It’s the number one blog in Nigeria.” However popular and successful she claims to be, Ikeji continues to be controversial.

Some say she is getting rich on gossip. She says the criticism is mainly down to two things: Jealousy and the usual online critique famous people often endure. “There are people who are jealous, because they don’t understand how somebody can be so successful at something so many others are trying to do.” Others simply don’t like what she does, but Ikeji seems unfazed. “They may not agree with the way I do stuff. They will criticize and show their opinion, which is fine with me.”

Celebrities

Nickie Dabarbie calls out Skiibii for attempting to use her for money rituals (Video)

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Nickie dabarbie calls out Skiibii for attempting to use her for money rituals

Nigerians have been left in confusion as popular social media influencer Precious Kingsley, popularly known as Nicki dabarbie uploaded a concerning video on her Instagram page.

In the video she posted, Nickie dabarbie was clearly distraught, and she kept on saying that the men in the video wanted to use her for money rituals. The name she kept chanting throughout the video was Skiibii, and she said the whole ‘Mayana’ family was doing money rituals, and that is how they got money to buy cars.

If there was any doubt as to whether it was the singer Skiibii she was referring to, the name ‘Mayana’ is a clear indication that she was referring to him because it is a slogan that he uses a lot.

Although the video wasn’t very clear, if you look closely, you can see that the room she was making the video from was in complete disarray.

There were shards of broken glass all over the floor, and at some point in the video, you could hear one of the men asking her why she’s stepping on broken glass.

One of the men in the video kept on asking ‘which kain highness be this’, thereby insinuating that she was intoxicated. He also asked her to leave and go home, insinuating that she was not in her house in the first place.

Throughout the video, Nickie dabarbie kept on chanting names of girls that were allegedly used for rituals by a man named Skibbi. She said that her ‘head was too strong’, and that is why they were not able to use her for rituals.

One of the men approached Nicki dabarbie with a bottle of water in hand, and she immediately screamed hysterically that he shouldn’t pour the water on her.

The video ended with Nicki dabarbie praying furiously and screaming out her lungs.

Skiibii hasn’t responded to the allegations laid against him by the influencer, and it still isn’t clear whether he was in the video because it was a bit hazy.

This isn’t the first time Nickie dabarbie is being involved in drama, as not too long ago, she was involved in a fight with fellow influencer Cute Gemini.

Their fight got so serious that Nickie dabarbie was arrested and spent a few days in prison. When she got out, her fans hailed her for being strong, while they rained curses on Cute Gemini.

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Rihanna seeks Ayra Starr collaboration — after working with Tems

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Rihanna, the award-winning Barbadian music star, says she wants to work with Ayra Starr, the Nigerian singer.

The music stars recently met at the Fenty X Puma party in London, where they both exchanged pleasantries.

During the chat, Starr told the ‘Umbrella’ hitmaker that Barbados, Rihanna’s home country, is her “favourite place in the world”.

Oh her part, Rihanna confessed she had only heard of Starr through her cousin’s obsession with her music.

“I have been hearing of Ayra Starr, I did not know who but my cousin she was like, ‘Oh my God I got this from Ayra Starr.’ She was obsessed with you,” she said.

She also inquired if the Nigerian songstress has a project with Tems, her colleague.

Starr confirmed that collaborations are in the works, but none have been released yet.

Rihanna responded by playfully expressing her interest in collaborating with the singer, saying, “You got an extra verse for me? Call me”.

In 2022, Rihanna collaborated with Tems, who contributed to the writing of ‘Lift Me Up’, the celestial ballad for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

Starr previously expressed her desire to collaborate with Rihanna, describing the US singer as her “queen”.

She added that she loves her music, stating it boosts her confidence.

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Celebrities

‘Not see you for 6 months, impossible’ — Davido reacts to Cubana Chief Priest’s bail

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Davido, the Afrobeats star, has shown his support for Cubana Chief Priest after the nightlife promoter was granted bail by a Lagos court.

On Tuesday, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives filed a three-count charge against the social media celebrity over alleged naira abuse.

Cubana, born Pascal Okechukwu, is accused of spraying and tampering with the naira at a social event — contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

He was later arraigned at the federal high court in Lagos.

When the charges were read during court sitting, the social media celebrity pleaded not guilty to them.

Kehinde Ogundare, the judge, thereafter granted him bail in the sum of N10 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

The judge ruled that the bail conditions must be perfected within seven days.

Cubana was released to his lawyer who must give an undertaken to produce him later. He will be remanded in a correctional facility if his lawyer fails to do so.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the nightlife promoter thanked his supporters for their show of love during the trial.

“Seeing all your messages and love, I am so humbled. Now it is confirmed CP no small. Money na water,” he wrote.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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