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👋 Good morning. It's a rainy Friday. I hope you're all cuddled up in bed? Or are you like me, neither in bed nor cuddled up? But at least I’m not in a situationship. Anyway, what happened on the internet this week? |
Let's get into it. |
In this edition: This week in culture, Nora Awolowo wants to break a Guinness World Record, new music friday, and more. |
If you’re enjoying this, don’t forget to subscribe and join The Juice community. We’re building this together ♡. |
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Shalom Tewobola,
Editor.
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Poll of the week |
The name Nollywood was coined in the year ____? |
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🗞️ THIS WEEK IN CULTURE |
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🎵 MUSIC |
Victony’s latest release, “SLICK,” has broken a record as the biggest debuting song on Billboard’s Global Shazam Top Songs chart. The song has left the shores of the country and has been projected to perform even better. It’s only been a week. |
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👟 FASHION |
Adidas is collaborating with Nigerian fashion brand waf! Founded by brothers Jomi Marcus-Bello, Nifemi Marcus-Bello and KC Obijiaku in 2012, the waf. × adidas Superstar ADV draws inspiration from Lagos and goes on presale ahead of its October 12 launch. This is the first Nigerian brand Adidas is collaborating with, we’re excited. |
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🏆 SPORTS |
The curtains have finally dropped on the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Spain leading the tournament, beating Argentina 1 to nil. It all ends on a random Sunday, doesn’t it? We’re gonna miss the World Cup. |
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📽️ FILM |
The 2026 Melbourne International Film Festival official selection list is out, and three Nigerian films were shortlisted. The Critics and Pietra Bretkelly’s Crocodile in the documentary category, Dika Ofoma’s Obi is a Boy for short film category, and Chuko Esiri’s Clarissa for the feature category. Check out the full list here. |
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🚨 MATTERS ARISING |
ECOWAS has revived its decades-old plans to launch a single currency for West African countries in 2027. Despite the delays, let’s not hesitate to spend it when it finally arrives. |
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MAIN SQUEEZE |
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Are situationships the best thing since sliced bread? |
This week on Twitter (X), people expressed their love and disinterest in situationships. There were cocktails of opinions. |
To get a clearer understanding of what people in situationships think, we spoke with Gabriella, a 25-year-old data analyst, about her love life and her preferred dating arrangement. |
Can you tell us about your most recent situationship? |
It was about three months ago. We met on social media, chatted for a while, and both agreed on ‘seeing’ how things go. Well, maybe not both of us, but that was what I proposed, and he agreed. |
It was very nice, we had fun while it lasted and went our separate ways later. It was a situationship because it was obvious this person wanted more, but I couldn’t offer the full commitment. |
On my part, I was very clear from the beginning, but he was probably hoping “going with the flow” would end in an actual relationship. |
Why do you think situationships work for you at this point in your life? |
I’m very keen on being in the moment. I don’t go into situationships expecting more. I know what I want, and I stick to that. |
In cases when I feel like I am developing more feelings than necessary, I see myself out. |
A lot of people say situationships make it harder to express their feelings and what they really want from the significant other. Has that been true in your experience? |
That is true, but only when the lines have been blurred. For me, I charge it to the game. I know this is not a real relationship and I lock up. |
As I mentioned earlier, in cases where the feelings are serious, I remove myself. That way, there’s no stress. |
What's stopping you from choosing a defined relationship, or is that simply not what you're looking for right now? |
I’m not looking for anything serious. Maybe one day, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. |
What's the biggest misconception people have about situationships? |
I think their biggest misconception is that only confused people prefer situationships. There’s no confusion anywhere. The issue is the people who see the signs, ignore them, and expect some permanence afterwards. Doesn’t work that way. |
Do you see yourself leaving situationships behind someday, or do you think they're just another valid way to date? |
Yes. When I’m ready to commit, I will find my person. I don't see that happening anytime soon, but one day. I also think it is still a valid way to date. Do you. |
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🔪 THE PEEL |
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Nora Awolowo wants to break a Guinness World Record |
The Discourse |
Nora Awolowo, Nollywood's youngest ₦100 million filmmaker (Red Circle), is chasing a Guinness World Record with her crime thriller Black Market. |
She is doing this alongside her studio, Rixel Studios, and theatre feature debut director, Fatimah Binta Gimsay, and the attempt is set to take place in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on September 26. |
The cast has been revealed, including the likes of Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowumi Dada, Uzor Arukwe, rising act Shamz Garuba, to mention a few. |
We are excited about this, especially because Awolowo is attempting this while carrying the Nollywood flag. But it also leaves us wondering: why are Nigerian filmmakers only just entering the Guinness World Records conversation despite having one of the world's biggest film industries for years? |
Peeling it back |
It has been an interesting year for Nigerian filmmakers so far. Special mentions to the BAFTA win for My Father’s Shadow, the Esiri brothers’ Clarissa heading to Cannes, Damilola Orimogunje's film Dear Ajayi, which will be screened in Venice, and others at major festivals coming up in Italy, Toronto, and Melbourne. |
Back home, the Nigerian box office grossed ₦8.83 billion in the first half of 2026, beating the ₦7.75 billion from the same period in 2025. Also, Dammy Twitch’s debut feature film, Call of My Life, bagged the top Nollywood title and is currently the highest-grossing Nollywood title of 2026 and the top 5 all-time. |
Awolowo attempts to break the current world record of the largest attendance at a film screening in a single location. The plan is to gather 50,000 attendees to break the 2015 record set in the Philippines by Iglesia Ni Cristo and VIVA Films, with 43,624 attendees. |
Another layer |
While Nollywood has hit a home run this year, it can’t go unnoticed that attempts like this don’t happen every day. This is largely due to financial constraints, as most of these attempts are undertaken individually and independently. Sponsorship is scarce and is mostly only offered after the Guinness World Record has been broken. |
The weight of planning costs, application fees, and flying in a GWR authenticator might be heavy on the shoulders of interested filmmakers. It is also important to factor in the lack of enthusiasm, as scenarios such as risk of possible disqualifications due to minor issues or the rigorous rules set by Guinness World Records can be deeply discouraging. |
Another important restraint to note is that filmmakers tend to prefer typical cinema and streaming releases because that way they get immediate Return on Investment (ROI). |
What this means going forward |
Nollywood has, however, evolved from the way things were years before. From the use of movie discs to streaming options, and the rise of film events and community. |
Nora’s GWR attempt is a big spotlight on the industry and will get the ball rolling for more global recognition. It also shows that limitations are simply not enough to hold Nigerians back. |
The Core |
Nollywood is up to greater things as both the younger and older generations are working twice as hard to place this fast-growing film industry further on the global map. |
The beauty of this is that Nigerians are great with support. We have seen it happen over and over again. We picture the event center filled to the brim, tons of supporters cheering outside the venue, and trending hashtags from online supporters. |
We are rooting for Nora Awolowo, Fatimah Binta Gimsay, and all involved in Black Market. Break a leg, guys! |
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🎵 PRESSED BY THE JUICE |
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Music is food for the soul, and we should renew that food. You can get your weekly renewal from us with jams fresh out of the oven. This week, we have Asake, Mavo, Teni, and more.
We update every Friday! Save, share, and follow our Pressed by Juice playlists on Spotify. |
Do you have a song you’d like us to include? Put us on, reply here. |
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POLL OF THE WEEK |
The name Nollywood was coined in the year? |
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FRESH STATS |
2500 The Nigerian Film Industry, otherwise known as Nollywood, is the second largest Film Industry in the world in terms of output, producing over 2,500 films annually. |
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Today’s email was written by Ikeoluwa Amonimo, edited by Shalom Tewobola. Designs by: Daniel Banjoko. |
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