Nigerians don’t carry last, says one of Naija adages. Recently, a new list of 100 Most Influential Africans has been released and five Nigerians entertainers, Don Jazzy, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Chiwetel Ejiofor, P-Sqaure alongside a novelist, Ngozi-Adichie Chimamanda have made the top list.
If you recall, Omotola was recently named one of the 100 most influential People in the world by Time Magazine and shortly after then, the TV personality, Mo Abudu of EbonyLife TV was named one of the few TV personalities in the world.
With all these accolades and achievement recorded by us, it’s evident Nigerians are doing well, only problem of leadership we have to contend with….May God give us the grace to do that. Amen
See their profile below:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Author – Nigeria
With the release of her much anticipated novel Americanah and the release of the movie adaptation of her novel Half of a Yellow Sun, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton. Yes, it has been a good year, but Adichie does not look like a lady who will be slowing down in 2014. As someone who is not afraaid to confront the difficult subjects of race, gender and politics, and is a proud African, who continues to campaign against the one-story narrative about Africa, we can't wait to see what she will do next.
Chiwetel Ejiofor has the lead role in two of 2013’s biggest films – 12 Years A Slave, directed by Steve McQueen, and the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning novel, Half of A Yellow Sun, directed by Biyi Bandele. His portrayal of former South African president Thabo Mbeki in the new Channel 4 drama Endgame was also another stellar performance. Prior to the theatre release of both films, Ejiofor won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Patrice Lumumba in A Season in The Congo, a theatre production about the first democratically elected leader of the DRCongo at The Young Vic theatre in London. Born to Nigerian parents in the UK, the award-winning actor is garnering an Oscar buzz for his mesmerising performance in 12 Years A Slave. The roles he has taken on this year prove once again what an African A-list, Oscar-deserving actor he is. Will 2014 be his year?
One cannot talk about contemporary Nigerian music without a mention of Don Jazzy, described as Africa’s number one beat maker. Founder and CEO of Mavin Records, Michael Collins Ajereh, 31, is better known as Don Jazzy and is an award-winning record producer and singer-songwriter.
Before he set up Mavin Records, he was head to Mo’ Hit Records, which at its height was home to some of Nigeria’s most successful artists, like D’Banj. He has produced hit songs for some of the biggest names in Nigeria’s music industry including; D’Banj, Tiwa Savage, Dr SID and Wande Coal.
To her global fans, Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde embodies true African beauty beyond measure. But there is more to the Nigerian sex bomb popular known as Omosexy. The gorgeous actress and mother of four’s meteoric rise in 2013 – a year which saw her become the first African celebrity to reach 1 million likes on Facebook, and named as one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine for their annual Time 100 list. Her debut reality show, Omotola:
The Real Me, made headlines as the most popular TV series across Africa. But that was not all! It fixated her millions of fans, revealing fascinating insights into one of Africa’s most recognised faces. She is also increasingly becoming a social activist in her own right, although a vocal critic of the current African political dispensation. Despite her popularity, she has no political ambitions.
P Square, Musicians Nigeria
Peter and Paul Okoyo have defined and set a benchmark for a new generation of Nigerian and African artists to follow with their energetic and infectious sound. According to the MTV Africa Website, their music is “Afrocentric in that it combines western and African rhythms in creating a marvellous blend of R&B, Hip Hop and Dancehall songs.” Hit after hit, the twin brothers have become apt at giving audiences songs that cut across age, gender and geographical boundaries. They are arguably Nigeria’s biggest musical export in the last few years, and have collaborated with some of the world’s biggest hip-hop artists, like Akon
