Emmanuella Bagudu wins 1M in EBVande talent hunt

Honourable Yomi Oke, Oyo State commissioner for Youth and Sports with the winner, Emmanuella and Mr Alabi of EBVande nightclub during the award night in Ibadan, Oyo State, recently.

A Medical student, Emmanuella Bagudu, has won the N1 million price tag of a talent hunt organised by the management of EBVande nightclub in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The University of Benin Medical Laboratory Science undergraduate cum musician was voted the best out of the over 1000 participants on Instagram during the month long competition.

The organisers based their outcome on the voting and liking strength of contestants, determined by social media followers,, to determine the eventual winner.

Mr Ope Alabi, business associate with Mr Bimbo Ojugbele, Chief Executive Officer of EBVande, said the club decided to embark on the competition as a social response to its customers.

“This is one of the numerous ways we can encourage them in their careers. We will not stop at this, however, because we believe we should support upcoming acts in all ways possible,” he said.

In his congratulatory speech, the Oyo State commissioner for youth and sports, Mr Yomi Oke, urged the winner to look beyond the money and focus on how to plant herself in the entertainment industry, especially as youth unemployment increases.

“The government appreciates what EBVande has done. For posterity, however, you should go beyond just giving winners money because they can easily exhaust a million or even ten million. Creating opportunities for them to showcase their talents is more important. Get them signed to labels, appear in shows, etc,” he said.

Emmanuella, the 20-year-old winner, expressed her gratitude to the management of EBVande for the confidence reposed in her. She promised to do her best to be heard in the very competitive music industry.

Tokunbo Fajuyitan, an entertainment attorney, praised the winner and the organisers for the project. He, however, urged the winner not to relent in her efforts to make a headway in the industry.

“Nigerians should begin to look inwards for everything, including entertainment which has the capacity to employ youths.

“As a UK-born Nigerian lawyer, we can organise events oversea. A lot of opportunities are available for Nigerians, but we should be determined and focused in whatever we do. I thank the management of EBVande for organising this event,” he said.

The second edition of the talent hunt will start on May 1, while the club will open for public use after the Ramadan.

David Olagunju