Everyone loves Chimezie Imo. A love cemented after Breath of Life and the

AMVCA Trailblazer of 2024 prize that everyone was rooting for him for … after he wasn’t nominated for any of the prizes at all.

But Chimezie tells me he doesn’t care about these accolades—he just wants to act and make money. He recalls how his first acting role as a child left an entire room in tears at his RCCG parish in Abuja. He ran to his mom and declared, “I want to be an actor.”

From that moment on, he never looked back— even through the many times he almost gave up, and the many times industry has disrespected him,

He opens up about the years squatting with a family member in FESTAC because he couldn’t afford rent, the directors who have tried to black list him, the insecurities that have tormented him, and the movie crew member who told him to bleach his skin.

I have known Chimezie from his first tentative days in this industry - I have witnessed the pain and the doubt, the push and the climb, and to see his sweet success today is to see a man who has earned everything accolade he has received.

Today, he finally shares that story in public with me. And it’s a story that will inspire you deeply.

Watch the full conversation right now on WithChude.

Then tell me what you think in the comments. ❤

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One of the most powerful women in African media shares her story with me today.

This is the woman who broke major Chibok stories, amplifying it to the world via CNN, and has since continued to give life to countless stories—including EndSARS and many more.

But Stephanie Busari tells me her life hasn’t been all rosy.

Yes, she has won every highly coveted journalism award, including an Emmy, but she has also faced immense tribulations.

She lost her mother in 2022 - rushing to London to watch her slowly fade away.

Her brother was trapped in a building collapse in Lagos—a tragedy she was reporting for CNN, not knowing he was trapped within.

She opens up about finding love again ten years after her divorce, why the Chibok story consumed her, and how the resilience of Nigerians continues to inspire her every day. She also shares her hopes that people will connect with the stories of extraordinary women in her book—and why, after 16 years, she decided to leave CNN.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. ❤

Watch all new and old full episodes here: www.withchude.com

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The powerful, viral-before-the-internet praise song ‘Today’ came from a place of pain and hurt and tribulations - and the singer, Pastor Wale Adenuga tells me the story today. 

He is the singer of hits songs including - 

— Olowogbogboro with Nathaniel Bassey 

— You alone are worthy, Lord 

— Lord because of me 

And many others. 

He tells me how he learnt to have faith in God even when he lost everything - and what he thinks about Nigerians changing the lyrics from ‘when trouble comes my way’ to ‘when success comes my way, I will praise the Lord.”

He tells me why he resigned as a pastor - and what he thinks about he promises many pastors make that Jesus wouldn’t make. 

He also tells me about ‘Worship 4 Change’ where he has over the past 15 years raised hundreds of millions of naira for orphans, widows, the homeless and more across several states off Nigeria.

Pastor Wale is one of the best human beings I know and it’s a delight to have him share his wisdom with us today. 

Watch the full conversation now on withChude.com, with a 15-minute cut available on YouTube today - search for ‘With Chude’.

Share your thoughts in the comment section.

❤

Watch all new and old full episodes here: www.withchude.com

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The brightest stars working in the media today - not entertainment, not content creation; but my one true love, media - join me in this stemwinder of a panel to ask me questions from the 25 years of my career.

From Jay On-Air who everybody knows to Flourish Ubanyi who you may not have heard of but who hosts the biggest faith-based podcast from Nigeria, they came loaded. 

It is a masterclass in building a career, making a success and staying relevant in the media - and in life. 

Part 1 of the full conversational is now up on withChude.com. 

We had… a BLAST!

Watch all new and old full episodes here: www.withchude.com

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The brightest stars working in the media today - not entertainment, not content creation; but my one true love, media - join me in this stemwinder of a panel to ask me questions from the 25 years of my career.

From Jay On-Air who everybody knows to Flourish Ubanyi who you may not have heard of but who hosts the biggest faith-based podcast from Nigeria, they came loaded. 

It is a masterclass in building a career, making a success and staying relevant in the media - and in life. 

Part 1 of the full conversational is now up on withChude.com. 

We had… a BLAST!

Watch all new and old full episodes here: www.withchude.com

Buy ‘How Depression Saved My Life’, #TheDailyJoy and #TheDailyVulnerable books here: shop.withchude.com

Donate to the work here: partner.withchude.com

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/c/chude

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Is Babangida a Bad Man?

I spoke with one of Nollywood’s most critically acclaimed producers—known for hits like Mirror Boy, Last Flight to Abuja, and Badamasi—about Nigerian’s former head of state Ibrahim Babangida, and he insists Babangida is a good man.

Born in 1985 when IBB took over office, I’ve long held a grudge against Babangida, the man who annulled Nigeria’s most peaceful election, “democratized corruption” and ordered the killing of his best friend. 

And why own up to his biggest mistakes now? 

Emelonye says it is his film that forced IBB into reflection and led directly to his apologies and confessions in his new book. 

From the lips of one of Nollywood’s most decorated and fearless directors, I heard stories of friendship, love, and business.

We also talk about how he convinced Genevieve to do Mirror Boy movie after Omotola said no, and how Omotola said yes to Last Flight to Abuja the year after.

This is one of the very best conversations I have ever had! 

Watch or listen to the full episode at WithChude.com.

Tell me what you think in the comments below. ❤

Watch all new and old fill epsidoes here: www.withchude.com

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Yale, Harvard, LSE, Oxford and others.

Working on presidential elections in Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone and others. 

Big Brother, The Apprentice, Idols, Got Talent. And CNN, Aljazeera, BBC. 

The Future Awards reaching 26 countries across Africa over the past 19 editions. 

From the Nigeria Media Merit Awards to African Business of the Year. Forbes 30 under 30 to the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. 

20 years, this year, of RED | For Africa, with its group of companies that includes one of the region’s top 5 PR companies.

Handing over as chief executive officer in 2016 to pursue my vision for content across Africa, and establishing one of the brightest examples of succession planning in my industry across several of my companies - with non-founder, non-family CEOs. 

My aunty, the iconic Mo Abudu sat down with me to review the global reach of my career over the past 25 years in the media. 

I am grateful to her for this conversation - and grateful to God for a rich, full life. 

Watch or listen to the full episode on withChude.com.

❤

#ChudeIsCelebrating

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“Anywhere my ex-husband saw me he would beat me.

“He beat me so much, I became an alcoholic - but I couldn’t leave because of the shame that people will say I couldn’t keep a man.”

For the first time on TV, veteran actor Ayo Adesanya - who was so big she was already lead star on Most Wanted, where Genevieve had her first minor role - finally speaks in detail about her abusive relationship that made her leave the industry for a very long time - and how she found the courage and the will to return to the industry and rebuild her career. 

We also discuss:

- How she stayed in this relationship for 10 years 

- ⁠How Bimbo Akintola and her other colleagues got angry because she couldn’t leave this man 

- ⁠How her ex threatened to pluck out her eyes with a knife 

- ⁠How he sent her son away to Ibadan at just 1 years old because he was jealous of the attention she was giving her son

- ⁠Why her next relationship didn’t work out

- ⁠Her long, hard journey back to Nollywood  

All pain, the shame, the destruction and the recovery. 

For the first time on TV, #WithChude.

Let me know what you think in the comment section. ❤

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This was an incredible honour.

To have the legendary newscaster and TV host, Cyril Stober sit down to interview me for my celebration of 25 years in the media, and my 40th birthday. 

I have worked in the media since I was 15 - from my first job on the NTA - and in this conversation we go deep into a career across print, radio, online, film and television; working from the NTA to MBI to Channels TV, and from TEMPO Magazine to Thisday to NEXT. 

He grilled me o! 

- Why did I start so young - what was driving me? 

- How writing my first book at 13 kicked off my career? 

- Why did I leave my law degree to practice journalism?

- Was I afraid being on TV as a presenter at 16 the first time? 

What was it like working with icons like Levi Ajuonuma, Funmi Iyanda, Comfort Okoronkwo, Agatha Amata and others? 

- When did I have time to do ‘young things’? 

- How did I meet my first girlfriend - on the job?

- What led to a nervous breakdown in my 20s?

- Why did I choose the lowest paying job out of 5 job offer after NYSC?

- Why did I join NEXT newspaper’s even when they were already owing 3 months salaries?

- Why I am not fazed by being ‘rave of the moment’ because of all the icons that I have seen go before me 

- What’s my vision for my work and the next 25 years?

From a starry/eyed young couch potato to the host of the most watched talk show on the continent, I stand on the shoulders of giants like Stober and other greats who have shone the path for me. 

This conversation truly helped me unravel a life of so many highs and so many dreams come true. ❤

#ChudeIsCelebrating

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After his contract with Naira Marley’s label expired in 2022, Fabian Blu disappeared from the public space after releasing four singles under Marlian Records. 

He is speaking for the first time to the media about his time at the label and royalties over the past five years that he says he is owed. He says he has not been paid a penny and when he threatened to sue them to court, Naira Marley laughed in his face. 

He tells me about the suffering and punishments he said endured during his time under the label—how he was called a lazy artist and sidelined because he wasn’t Yoruba or Muslim. How he was maltreated in the accommodation provided, marched out of the studio and ignored when he asked for help for his mother. 

He says he was introduced to drugs after signing with Marlian Music and to a dangerous lifestyle that he has to escape from. 

Then I ask him: Why did he reach out to me to speak out just now, when Naira Marley is making a comeback with his music?

Hear him tell his story exclusively on withChude.com right away and on @WithChude YouTube at 5pm today. 

Let me know what you think in the comment section. 

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