Director, Brand & Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Enitan Denloye, announced this at a media launch held in Ikoyi, Lagos on the 14th of January, 2015, to formally kick – off the fifth season of the reality show. 

Denloye disclosed that the sponsorship of the competition for 5 consecutive years reflects the company’s commitment to Nigerian youths.

“As a company, we are cognizant of the importance of connecting with all our customers and we recognize that music and entertainment resonate with the youth who are a key market segment for us. Sponsoring Nigerian Idol is our way of helping thousands of musically gifted Nigerian youths to live their dreams, so we are very excited to announce that we remain the headline sponsors of Nigerian Idol.” He said.

“This year, we are raising the bar of the show; we are in search of music talents that stand out. We want to see young and dynamic talent bring creativity and originality into music.” He concluded.

Multi-talented neo-soul singer, Yinka Davies will be returning as a judge for the new season of Nigerian Idol, alongside Multi-award winning R&B singer, Darey Art-Alade and Afro Beat legend, Dede Mabiaku. On-Air Personaltity, Ill-Rymz will also be joining the judging trio as the host of the season.

The media launch featured numerous fun-filled activities such as a mini-Press Idol Competition and announcement of the judges for the season, but the closing performance by Nigerian Idol Season 4 Winner, Evelle Zibili was the climax of the night. 

With her dramatic performance of her latest single, ‘I’m Naughty’ and her soulful rendition of other hit songs, Evelle held the guests spell-bound with her tremendous running notes and energetic stage presence.

Nigerian Idol has grown steadily in popularity, especially among the youth, since inception. The winner of this year’s competition will cart away a brand new SUV and a 7.5 million naira cash prize, amongst other rewards.