Nigeria is home to various big personalities in the fields of literature, music, and film.
The list of celebrities is long, but here are some names worth mentioning.
- Chinua Achebe:
Considered as the father of African literature, Chinua Achebe is a writer, an essayist, a political critic and a professor at Brown University in Rhode Island. His most famous classic book is Things Fall Apart” written in 1958
- Wole Soyinka:
The first writer in Africa to win a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, Wole Soyinka is considered as the most famous playwright in the region. He has over 20 plays and books published, with “The Strong Breed” as his most famous work.
- Femi Kuti:
An ambassador of Amnesty International, Femi Kuti, is the eldest son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, the King of Rock n’ Roll in Africa. He started his musical career by playing in his father’s band, and then went on an independent path to become an international figure in music, and was nominated for various Grammy awards.
- Genevieve Nnaji:
A singer and an actress, Genevieve Nnija is one of the most famous personalities in film in Africa and specially Nollywood. She has been acting since she was 8 years old and is now a well respected and applauded actress.
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
Chimamanda is a novelist and non-fiction writer who has become one of Africa’s most important contemporary literary voices. “Half of a Yellow Sun” which won the Orange award, a prestigious awards that celebrates women in fiction around the world, is her most famous work to date.
- Tuface Idibia:
Tuface Idiba is one of the most celebrated new-generation singers in Africa. Before performing independently, Tuface was part of the band Plantashun boiz. He has won numerous awards like the MTC Awards for Best African Artist.
- P-Square:
Blending romantic R&B and dance moves inspired by Michael Jackson’s style, the twin duo P-square are a sensation in Nigeria. Their song “No one like you” has reached over 10 million views on YouTube.
- Nneka:
With “Heartbeat” as her most famous song, soul musician Nneka is one of the most popular singers in Nigeria. Her songs discuss poverty, war, and social issues. Her rise to fame began after she had performed with Sean Paul in Germany, and then appeared on the David Letterman show in 2010.
