Renowned Nollywood actor, producer, and veteran production manager, Kehinde Adeyemi, has been officially recognized by the City of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, for his outstanding contributions to the Nigerian film industry and the global promotion of African art and culture.

​In a special presentation, the Mayor of Brampton, His Worship Patrick Brown, presented Mr. Adeyemi with a formal Certificate of Recognition. The award commended the veteran filmmaker for his dedication, artistic talent, and role in strengthening cultural understanding while celebrating the richness of Nigerian storytelling on the international stage.

​The Certificate of Recognition reads in part:
​”In recognition of your outstanding contributions to the Nigerian film industry and the global promotion of arts, culture, and creative excellence. Your dedication, talent, and achievements have inspired audiences around the world while strengthening cultural understanding… It is with great pleasure that the City of Brampton welcomes you during your visit.”

​Kehinde Adeyemi’s journey in African cinema spans over three decades. A vital figure in the Yoruba sector of Nollywood, Adeyemi trained under legendary theater icons—including Yinka Quadri, Taiwo Hassan (Ogogo), and Abbey Lanre—after joining the famed Odunfa Caucus in 1990.

​Over the years, he has established himself as one of Nollywood’s most reliable production managers while taking on notable screen roles, particularly for his memorable interpretations of law enforcement characters. His extensive filmography includes hit productions such as Gbeje (2012), Viper (2021), and Alagbara (2022).
​“Filmmakers Are Like Preachers”:

Adeyemi Reflects on Professionalism
​Reacting to the honor, an emotional Adeyemi expressed profound gratitude to the Mayor of Brampton, his fans worldwide, and God for keeping his work relevant both at home and in the diaspora.

​Sharing his philosophy on filmmaking, Adeyemi emphasized the moral duty that creative professionals carry:
​”Whatever you do in life, do it diligently because people are watching.

“I have always maintained that filmmakers are like pastors or imams—we teach society through our craft. We owe it to our audience to produce impactful movies that people can learn from.”

​Addressing younger practitioners in the film industry, Adeyemi stressed the importance of perfectionism across all departments:
​”Acting is ‘make-believe,’ so an actor must deliver convincingly. As a professional production manager, you bridge the gap between the producer and the actors; you must organize seamlessly to achieve greatness.

“Having spent the last year in Canada, I had no idea people were following and valuing the work we do back home. Receiving this recognition from Mayor Patrick Brown is deeply humbling.”
​Adeyemi concluded by expressing appreciation to his family for their steadfast prayers, as well as his global fan base for their unwavering support throughout his career.

Award-winning South African singer Tyla is facing a wave of opposition from some Nigerians ahead of her planned performance in Lagos, with many calling on her to cancel the show over concerns linked to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The Grammy-winning artiste recently unveiled the African leg of her world tour, which includes a stop in Lagos on December 22.

However, the announcement sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with many Nigerians taking to the pages of the concert promoter, Live Nation, to express their displeasure and urge that the Lagos concert be removed from the tour schedule.

Several commenters accused Tyla of failing to publicly condemn the recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where Nigerians have, over the years, been subjected to violence, intimidation and deportation.

The backlash was largely directed at Live Nation’s promotional posts, with users insisting that the singer should not perform in Nigeria until she addresses the concerns surrounding the attacks on foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Tyla nor Live Nation had publicly responded to the criticism or the calls to cancel the Lagos concert.

One user wrote, “We don’t want you in Nigeria. You are so shameless and have no moral or cultural respect for Nigeria. Take your tour to your country. Shame on you.”

Another commenter said, “Hey, remove Nigeria from that list. We don’t want anyone from the xenophobic country.”
A third user wrote, “She’s not welcome in Nigeria. Her people are xenophobic. Nigerians have recently been killed on South African soil by South African police.”

Some reactions went beyond criticism, with one user threatening to organise a mass report of Live Nation’s X account over the announcement.

Joining the conversation, popular media personality and OAP Do2dtun also appealed directly to the singer on X, urging her to reconsider staging the Lagos concert in light of the lingering anger over xenophobic attacks.

Addressing Tyla, Do2dtun described her as “an amazing musician with a great personality” but argued that public figures have a responsibility to speak on issues affecting their identities.

“I am pretty sure you wouldn’t have loved it if people in countries you go to don’t want you there or punish you for the sins of others,” he wrote. “We can agree or disagree on so many things, but one thing we both have to agree on is that our positions in this space also enable us to take charge of social issues that directly affect our identities without bias.”

Do2dtun said that while he respected the singer, he believed “this isn’t the right time” for her to perform in Nigeria, adding that proceeding with the concert “shows lack of empathy, it’s taunting and lacks emotional intelligence.”

He further stated that “anything other than speaking about the xenophobic atrocities is not welcome,” adding: “As much as we respect it, you are not welcome here. It’s not a threat; it’s an appeal. We only align with respecting people who respect other Africans. No voice means agreement. If you are in agreement with what your country did, it’s fair, but let us heal. The lives of every African matter.”

The backlash reflects lingering resentment among many Nigerians over repeated xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which have strained relations between citizens of both countries.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Tyla nor Live Nation had publicly responded to the criticism or indicated whether the Lagos concert would proceed as scheduled.

An emerging Nigerian artiste, Royal Star, has expressed optimism about making a major breakthrough in the entertainment industry, revealing plans to collaborate with an A-list actor as he prepares to release his debut album.

The hip-hop and Afrobeat singer, who has spent the last eight years honing his craft, said he is ready to take his career to the next level with the release of his first album.

Royal Star disclosed that he has already recorded two singles, “Bola” and “Matter,” which will form part of his growing catalogue of songs.

Speaking on the growth of Nigeria’s music industry, the budding musician and actor described the sector as one of the country’s biggest success stories, attributing its rise to the quality of music and songwriting by Nigerian artistes.

“The music industry is growing because Nigerian artistes produce good music with quality lyrics,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of collaborations between established stars and emerging talents, noting that such partnerships would inject fresh ideas into the industry while providing opportunities for younger artistes.

Looking beyond his career as a performer, Royal Star said he hopes to establish a record label dedicated to nurturing new talents and expanding the global reach of Nigerian music.

“I plan to help build the Nigerian music industry by making it easier for up-and-coming artistes to succeed. I also want to become a label owner to transform Nigerian music and make it even more acceptable to the international audience, just as artistes like Davido, Olamide, Kizz Daniel and Burna Boy have done,” he said.