Nigerian Entertainment Today

Nigerian Entertainment Today (often stylized as NET) is a newspaper in Nigeria. It was launched on November 23, 2009 and is circulated in more than 37 Nigerian cities. It sells more than 10,000 copies weekly.[1][2] According to Alexa, Nigeria Entertainment Today is ranked among the top 100 websites in Nigeria.[3]

History

Nigerian Entertainment Today went live online on November 23, 2009.[4] In April 2013, while the site ranked 33rd on Alexa's most viewed Nigerian websites, a certain Rocco Mancini hacked the site's security, made it inaccessible and demanded a $1200 ransom which was later dropped to $200.[5]

NET’s publisher, Adekunle Ayeni[6] would not give in to the hacker’s demands, and relaunched NET on its current domain name requiring traffic to the URL be built all over again. By 2014, NET was back on Alexa’s list of top 100 websites in Nigeria.[7]

In April 2013, NET held the maiden edition of its Nigerian Entertainment Conference], the umbrella summit of the country’s entertainment industry.[8] The opening speech at the edition was read by Director General of Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Frank Nweke Jr. The 2014 edition had speakers such as Professor Pat Utomi, 2Face Idibia and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde.

Operations

Nigerian Entertainment Today is headquartered in Lagos and has 10 employees and 10 support staff. NET's editorial team include Neema Amani, Chiagoziem Onyekwena, Olutomi Oladipo, Olamide Jasanya, Victoria Ige and Adewole Ajala who cover Kenya, Music and urbane culture, Lagos, Fashion, Extra, Music and Arts, respectively.

In August 2014, NET’s famed Editor-in-Chief and Assistant Manager Osagie Alonge left for a leading competitor in the online Nigerian entertainment space Pulse.ng, after a dispute with the former employer.[9]

Shortly after this, NET Newspaper Limited announced the appointments of Gbenga Bada from Movie Moments as the acting editor and Adedayo Odulaja formerly of Independent Newspapers Limited as the assistant editor. Other appointees include Senior Correspondents, Olamide Jasanya and Adedayo Showemimo, formerly of City People Magazine and THISDAY Newspaper.

Top media and entertainment editorial contributors to NET include filmmaker Chris Ihidero, broadcaster Lamide Akintobi, publicist Bayo Omisore, talent manager Efe Omorogbe, entrepreneurs Wale Ewedemi and Kwirkly, CEO Chris Ogunlowo, and radio presenters Tosyn Bucknor and Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi.

Special reports

NET is best known for securing exclusive interviews and breaking the biggest stories on the Nigerian entertainment scene.[10]

The maiden print edition of the paper was a special tribute to late rapper Da Grin, and was printed with the aid of a loan from Ayo Animashaun's Smooth Promotions. The breaking news of the young rapper’s death was a NET exclusive, and all the copies of the print sold out within weeks of its publication.[11]

In 2012, Don Jazzy and D'banj (co-founders of Mo' Hits Records) dismembered amid allegations and counter-allegations. After several months of silence, D’banj granted NET an exclusive interview in London which still is regarded as the most talked about dialogue in Nigeria’s entertainment history.[12]

Furthermore, the NET broke the news of the birth of Wizkid and Ice Prince's children.

References

  1. OloriSupergal. "Olori Supergal". Olori Supergal Blog. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  2. Editor. "About NET - Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily". Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  3. "thenet.ng Site Overview". alexa.com. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  4. Editor. "About NET - Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily". Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  5. "TheNetNg Online Gets HACKED! Hackers Demand Ransom - Alternate Website Up". BellaNaija. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  6. Olori Supergal. "NET Publisher Shares Success Story".
  7. Bankole Oluwafemi. "Nigeria’s Top Hundred Websites Of 2013". techcabal.com. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  8. "WordPress". hiphopworldmagazine.com. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  9. "Osagie Alonge Part Ways with NET for Pulse.ng". GY. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  10. Onos O. "BN Bytes: “I Already Had Plans Of How We Could Blow Mo’Hits Up” - Read D’Banj’s First Interview With a Nigerian Newspaper, Nigerian Entertainment Today, Since Mo’Hits Broke Up". BellaNaija. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  11. Editor. "Exclusive Pictures of Dagrin in Hospital". Nigerian Entertainment Today - Nigeria's Number 1 Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  12. "The NET exclusive D’banj Interview that shook the world 2 years ago". DaSort. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
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