On the 27th of April, at The Palms, Lagos, something deeper than entertainment unfolded. It was WithChudeLive, a soul-baring, conversation-rich experience hosted by celebrated media personality Chude Jideonwo. Although the show was set to start at 2 p.m., it eventually began around 3:15 p.m. The opening featured a nostalgic tribute, showcasing an old interview with the late Ada Ameh and veteran actress Sola Sobowale on screen. This touching moment helped ease the audience into what would become an unforgettable evening.
The talk concert was a safe space where some of Nigeria’s biggest stars stripped off their glam and glitz and let their truth shine. The stories they shared were not rehearsed anecdotes but deep, raw revelations, offering glimpses into the real-life challenges and victories behind their fame. The show featured Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ruth Kadiri, Funke Akindele, Falz, Moses Bliss and a lot more.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Though the last session for the night, Chimamanda Adichie’s session was one of my personal favourite moments of the event. Her conversation about fear and uncertainty in her creative process opened up a powerful dialogue on the struggles that even the most successful face. “There’s always an underlying sense of panic,” she said, candidly describing her writing journey.
Chimamanda shared how, during the writing of her book Dream Count, she feared losing the ideas she had so carefully cultivated. “While I was writing Dream Count, there were moments when I didn’t want to go to bed because I feared that by the time I woke up, the ideas would have disappeared.”
My biggest takeaway from Chimamanda’s session was the concept of embracing panic as a part of the creative process. We often believe that to succeed, we must always feel calm and collected, but her words reminded me that vulnerability in our processes is okay. The fear we face before starting something new is often a sign that we care deeply about our work, and that’s what makes us resilient.
Ruth Kadiri
Next was Nollywood star and YouTube powerhouse, Ruth Kadiri, who shared her inspiring journey of how she turned YouTube into a goldmine by reinventing her career with a sharp entrepreneurial lens. “I didn’t even know YouTube was a goldmine,” she confessed. “When I travelled, I noticed people watched everything there. I asked myself, ‘If there’s a crowd here, why is nobody feeding it?’”
Seeing how YouTube was thriving internationally, she adopted the model and adapted it to the Nigerian entertainment landscape, building a multi-million-naira digital film empire in the process. When asked how she reacts to social media criticisms, Ruth answered with confidence: “I really don’t care, I feel like I am so self-sufficient. And I feel like whatever you feel is your problem. I am not saying it in a disrespectful way. I am just okay.”
Ruth’s story reinforced the power of self-belief and not letting criticism hold you back. Her perspective on social media negativity was liberating. Instead of dwelling on opinions, I’ve learned that focusing on my growth and confidence is key. The world will always have its critics, but we control how we react to them.
Falz
Rapper and social crusader Falz also took the stage, discussing why he continues to use his music as a mirror to society, even in the face of backlash.
“Even in social circles, my friends would be like, ‘Which one be all these things wey you dey do?’ But at the end of the day, the kind of artist I am, I draw inspiration from my surroundings. This is what’s happening around me; I have to talk about it,” he explained. “It’s not about fighting for people. It’s about compassion. This is just something I feel strongly about.”
In today’s world, we often feel pressured to fight for others in a combative way, but true advocacy stems from empathy. His words highlighted the value of leading with kindness and understanding, rather than conflict. This has reshaped how I view activism in my own work.
Funke Akindele
Then came the emotional heartbeat of the night: Funke Akindele’s raw, revelatory testimony. She peeled back layers that the public rarely gets to see, opening up about her journey through one of the toughest times in her career. She revealed how depression quietly crept into her life during the COVID-19 lockdown when she was sentenced to 14 days of community service for violating social distancing regulations.
“I cried, I prayed, I fasted, and I accepted my fault,” Funke shared, breaking down how the acceptance of her situation became the first step towards healing. “When you want to keep defending yourself, you are not mature. Accept when you are wrong.” Funke’s vulnerability touched every member of the audience. She channelled her pain into creativity, and her film Omo Ghetto: The Saga became the highest-grossing Nigerian film for the year 2020.
Funke’s experience showed me that acceptance is often the first step towards healing. It’s easy to defend our mistakes and blame the circumstances, but owning our truths allows us to grow. Her strength was in her ability to accept responsibility and use her experiences to fuel her creativity. This is a lesson I’ve carried with me in both personal and professional situations.
Moses Bliss
Moses Bliss’s story about staying true to his purpose, despite facing public backlash and challenges, struck a chord with me. He spoke about how his viral hit E Dey Flow became an anthem, not just because of its catchy rhythm, but because of the message of hope rooted in the scriptures.
On becoming a pop culture phenomenon, Moses said, “Well, I am not so surprised because somehow during my walk with the Lord, God told me that these things would happen. It’s not a surprise to me. He told me literally that my songs will be heard across the world and people will sing them.”
He spoke about the vision behind his music. “I’m going to package gospel music in different ways. My goal is to ensure you have gospel music for everything. Healthy music for everything. I have a mandate to build a healthy music community. Our children should have clean lyrics, beautiful songs, wrapped in the word of God—to sing, to dance, to praise God.” Calling it a “coat of many colours,” Moses said his mission is to reach multiple generations with purpose-driven sound.
On facing criticisms, especially around his viral hit E Dey Flow, he didn’t mince words: “To be honest, when I released E Dey Flow, I didn’t really use Twitter, but I now said let me start using it. I posted a clip and came back one hour later—500k views. But 90 per cent of the comments were negative. I saw things like, ‘Is this one also a gospel song?’ ‘This guy has missed it.’ I was like—what did I do wrong?”
Moses reminded me that when you’re pursuing a purpose, persecution is inevitable. People will criticise and misunderstand your work, but if you stay true to your purpose, you’ll find fulfilment. His unshaken faith in his mission inspired me to align my own goals with a higher purpose and ignore the noise that could derail me.
More Than Just a Show
Aside from the high-profile guests, what struck me most was the warmth in the room. I made two new friends, Tinu and Tina, bubbly, visionary young women who reminded me that beyond the lights and cameras, conversations like these connect people at a heart level. We didn’t just listen; we healed, laughed, and became a little braver with our own truths. And perhaps that’s the real magic of WithChudeLive: it isn’t about spectacle; it’s about soul work. We were reminded that even our stars hurt, heal, and hope. Your story may be the survival guide someone else needs. And thanks to Chude, we were all reminded that there is no shame in vulnerability, only power.
