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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

Uche Ogbodo reveals why she blocked May Edochie on social media

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Uche Ogbodo, the Nollywood actress, has opened up about her decision to block May, the first wife of Yul Edochie, on social media.

The actress was responding to critics who linked the recent robbery at her boutique store to her support for Yul’s second wife Judy Austin via her Instagram page.

Uche claimed May’s fans have been consistently harassing her online. The film star said this prompted her to block May due to her “apparent tolerance for their toxic behaviour”.

She emphasized that karma does not target innocent people with pure hearts, and clarified that the robbery was simply a life event, not a form of karma.

Uche also expressed frustration with the “negative comments from May’s supporters”, telling them to stop watching her videos if they are bothered.

“Toxic May Edochie fans! Unah go dey Taya ooo. Very very toxic bunch of lunatics! You people don’t own this social media,” she wrote.

“No matter how toxic you get, you can never pass Wizkid’s FC. Stop watching my videos if it hurts so bad. Misfortune is life, and it’s rotational; it will surely swing. So wait for your own turn. Allow me to enjoy mine.

“Singing Karma Karma. Does karma visit innocent person? Someone whose heart is pure and not ridden with evil? Hell No!

“Thief stole my goods then it’s my Karma because I chose to mind my business. The real karma is coming to you for being evil and vile towards people.

“I blocked May because you wouldn’t let me like her pictures in peace. And she seems to enjoy the toxicity! So that pisses me off! As she cannot tell you to stop.”

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Celebrities

‘Did I flaunt your wife?’ — Yul Edochie fumes after brother’s advice

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Yul Edochie, the Nollywood actor, appears to have responded to advice from his brother Linc over his constant online display of his second wife Judy Austin.

Yul unveiled Judy as his second wife in April 2022. He also announced their first child together — to the dissatisfaction of May, his first wife.

Linc, in a recent interview on Kanayo O. Kanayo’s podcast, shared his thoughts on Yul’s decision to constantly flaunt Judy on social media.

He cautioned that the people praising Yul would quickly turn against him if issues arose in his second marriage.

“What is done is done… My father always says, ‘Take your marriage off social media,” he said.

In an Instagram post, Yul questioned why people were concerned about his constant display of Judy online, asking if they had paid for his data or if he was posting their wives.

The movie star also rained abusive words at his critics. Although he did not mention names, Yul concluded with a stern warning: “If my post offends you, hug transformer”.

“Ndi keep your marriage off social media kwenu! Ndi ala. You wey hide your marriage inside house, you still no divorce? Your wife no leave you? Psychos,” he wrote.

“Everybody na adviser for social media, your own life go dey scattter, you no fit fix am. But you sabi advise other people. If I post my wife a million times on my page, how it take concern you?

“Na you buy me data or na your wife I post? Idiots. The one wey dey sweet una na to wear black gather for person burial. One minute silence, the person go turn to hero.

“But when that person is alive being happy, his happiness go dey pain una. Thunder fire you. If my post dey offend you, hug transformer.”

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Celebrities

‘I’m a daughter of two immigrants,’ Cardi B rants as Elon Musk calls her ‘puppet’

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Rapper Cardi B has responded to remarks made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently called her a “puppet” for the Kamala Harris campaign.

Musk shared a clip of Cardi B’s speech on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Another puppet who can’t even talk without being fed the words. The Kamala campaign has no authenticity or true empathy.”

Cardi B fired back, saying, “I’m not a puppet, Elon. I’m a daughter of two immigrant parents that had to work their ass off to provide for me! I’m a product of welfare, I’m a product of section 8, I’m a product of poverty, and I’m a product of what happens when the system is set up against you… But you don’t know nothing about that. You don’t know not one thing about the American struggle… PS fix my algorithm.”

The exchange comes ahead of the U.S. presidential elections, scheduled for November 5, where Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is set to face Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Though Harris stands poised to potentially become the first Indian American president, a survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace suggests she may garner fewer votes from the community than President Joe Biden did in 2020.

In her rally speech, Cardi B spoke passionately about women’s rights, stating: “Just like Kamala Harris, I too have been the underdog, I’ve been underestimated, my success belittled and discredited. Let me tell you something: Women have to work ten times harder, perform ten times better, and still people question us, how we got to the top. I can’t stand a bully, but just like Kamala, I always stand up to one.”

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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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