The launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation in Lagos on Monday, March 9, was supposed to mark a new chapter in the already successful music career of the songstress.
In collaboration with Berklee College of Music, where Tiwa Savage was awarded a scholarship at the age of 24, the foundation—positioned to empower creatives such as artists, songwriters, producers, sound engineers, music executives, and many more—is, at any time, a welcome development in a fast-growing music industry.
Unfortunately, the bright and promising light ignited by Tiwa Savage, as she promotes her interest in philanthropy, has now been overshadowed by debates focusing on the very poor treatment meted out to guests, especially journalists, who attended the launch event.
Journalists stranded outside the venue of the event
Several Nigerian journalists who were at the event lamented being treated ike strays by security personnel and event managers at the Delborough Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos—the venue of the foundation launch.
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Despite being invited by a certain Fola PR, a public relations agency responsible for managing the media men and women invited to cover the launch, several journalists revealed that they were kept waiting outside the main hall where the event was held.
Some journalists also recounted how they were psychologically humiliated by security personnel who mandated them to wear a black Delborough Hotel-branded polo to access the event, even though it was retrieved before they could exit the hotel. Interestingly, other journalists revealed that security officials threatened them for attempting to record the arrival of guests, with a female security guard warning that their phones could be seized or damaged.
A video monitored by The Octopus News captured the moment a journalist was told by a Delborough Hotel staff member that he was being given a branded polo to put on while doing his work. The journalist, who felt insulted, could be heard asking if he was naked.
In a post to express her disgust, This Day journalist Yinka Olatunbosun wrote: “Invited and Disgraced: Tiwa Savage and her team should do better. We were turned back for not wearing a branded t-shirt as a requirement for entry. Our press tags were not enough to enter the venue. We are journalists, not marketers. #TiwaSavage #TheDelborough”
A journalist who also criticized the manner in which journalists were treated noted that she turned down the invitation to cover the launch, adding that the invitation from Fola PR was distasteful.
“Dress Code: A complimentary shirt will be provided on the day for you to wear. We’ll also be able to make official images available immediately following the event for editorial use,” she said the message on the invitation read.
The incident has sparked a debate in the media sector, with many asking if Tiwa Savage and her managers treat foreign journalists in the same manner when she performs abroad.
Tiwa Savage is known to have performed at sold-out concerts and shows for years, and there have hardly been reports of journalists being locked out of the shows.
Efforts to reach Fola PR at the time of filing this report were abortive. A call made to the firm was initially picked up, but was ended immediately when Tiwa Savage Foundation was mentioned by our reporter. All subsequent calls were not answered, as the mobile number 070134387** was switched off.
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