This week, in our usual tradition, we bring you a list of five prominent Nigerians who have birthdays this week.
Wizkid
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in 2010 with the release of “Holla at your boy” which was the lead single for his debut album “StarBoy”. He has since then gone to become a prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene and is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential African artists of all time.
Wizkid’s impressive discography includes “Pakurumo”, “Come Closer”, “Essence”, “Blessed”, “Ginger”, “Caro”, among others.
He is the first Nigerian artist to hit the number one on the Billboard world charts in 2016 with the song “One Dance”. He has won numerous awards, including the Grammy Awards for the best music video in 2022, as well as three BET awards. He is also in the Guinness Book of Records for his contribution in “One Dance”. Wizkid is also the most awarded artist at the Nigerian Headies Awards.
He was born 16 July 1990 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Israel Adesanya
Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya is a Nigerian and New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and former boxer with multiple championships. He is currently competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is currently the Champion and a two-time champion.
The ‘last style bender’ as he is fondly called has a record of 24 2-0 in the UFC.
He was born 22 July 1989 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mr Eazi
Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, better known by his stage name Mr Eazi, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is the pioneer of Banku music, a fusion of sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressions and patterns.
He gained fame after the release of “Skin Tight” with Efya in 2015.
Among his songs are “Skin Tight”, “Sample You”, “Leg Over”, “Tilapia”, and “Legalize”.
He won the next rated at the 2016 Headies Award and Best New Artiste at the 2016 Soundcity MVP Awards. He also won Most Promising Act to Watch at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards in the same year.
He was born 19 July 1991 in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Peter Obi
Peter Gregory Obi is, no doubt, the most celebrated Nigerian politician of the current era.
An astute businessman, he was the Chairman and Director of Guardian Express Mortgage Bank Ltd before venturing into politics, and he was the youngest Chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc.
Obi served as Governor of Anambra State from 2007 to 2014. He ran for the position of the President in 2023 general elections under the aegis of the Labour Party, after defecting from the People’s Democratic Party. His keen supporters, made of mostly youths, belong to a movement known as the Obidients. Among his awards are The Sun Man of the Year in 2007 and Silverbird Man of the Year in 2013,
He was born 19 July 1961 in Anambra State, Nigeria.
Lancelot Imasuen
Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen is a Nigerian film director and producer.
He has worked in the film industry since 1995 producing movies that encompass religion, tradition, and folklore. He is renowned for “Invasion 1897”, a film he directed and produced centring around Oba Ovoramwen, the events surrounding his reign and his fight with the British Empire for independence of the Edo people.
Imasuen has also directed movies like “Adesuwa”, “Gbege” and “Enakhe”. He has been nominated for and won various awards including the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Best of Nollywood Awards.
He was born 20 June 1971 in Edo State, Nigeria
