As Nigeria marks her 52nd year of independence, our editors sat down to make a list of 52 men and women shaping our growing entertainment industry… 2face Idibia: Mr Innocent Ujah Idibia is one of the most influential, the most consistent, the most decorated, and the most successful musician in his generation. Even his peers attest to that. From humble beginnings in Jos, he has grown to become Africa’s most iconic pop star, clearing the path for hundreds of others after him. Respected at home and abroad by almost everyone that matters, Idibia is now building his Hypertek dreams, mentoring younger acts like W4, Rocksteady and Dammy Krane.
Alaba Marketers: Although digital distribution is now finding its way to Nigeria with platforms such as Spinlet, Truspot, Iroking and Notjustok, and with the coming of Apple, marketers like Obaino, ABHU, and TJOE still wield their potent influence on music distribution. With many Nigerians consuming physical CDs, and the industry lacking the much-needed distribution framework, Alaba is the headquarters of music sales, with those there responsible for at least 90 percent of annual music sales. Alex Okosi: Okosi sits atop Viacom‘s business in Africa, with Nigeria being a major market. From MTV Base to Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and now BET, he is one of the few determining the direction of today’s home entertainment. Ali Baba.Nigeria’s stand-up comedy industry has him to thank for its rebirth and survival. The godfather of modern comedy, Ali Baba is arguably one of the most inspiring mentors and leaders still working within entertainment. Still actively performing, he continues to hold up the ladder for many to climb. Amaka Igwe: One of the architects of Nollywood, Amaka Igwe is mostly known for creating Checkmate and Fuji House of Commotion. But the writer/director/producer has, for many years, been involved in training through her Lagos-based institute. There’s also her annual TV expo BOBTV as well as Top Radio, the Lagos-based FM station that’s doing things differently. Andy Bello: For the last four years, Bello has taken it upon himself to honour Nigerian musicians with the annual South South Music Awards; the only recognized awards show from that region. Solely organized by his Lockdown Entertainment company, Bello has been able to run the awards show with little or no sponsors since 2009. Audu Maikori: For years, he was lawyer by day and poet by night. These days, Maikori is a music entrepreneur by day and night, building, along with his team, Chocolate City, one of Africa’s most successful labels. Audu’s label has brought hip hop music and culture to more Nigerians than any other label – thanks to the success of their recording artistes M.I, Brymo, Jesse Jagz and Ice Prince. Ayo Animashaun: Animashaun is the executive producer of Nigeria’s only surviving music awards. Through his company, Smooth Promotions, he has built The Headies (also known as Hiphopworld Awards) as Nigeria’s most respected awards, as acknowledged by audiences and the musicians they reward. Animashaun is also the publisher of Nigeria’s only surviving (although epileptic) hip-hop journal HipHop World Magazine. His TV show Hip TV, syndicated on multiple channels here and abroad, is now warming up to become a 24 hour cable channel. BellaNaija: Bellanaija has been able to tag itself as the one-stop online portal for stories revolving around Nigerian fashion, wedding moments and heart-touching stories. If you are a lady who’s single, married or a mother, you definitely have this website bookmarked. Biola Alabi: The Managing Director at M-NET Africa over the last three years has harnessed the African TV viewing culture, with not just the quantity but quality of African programming. She also spearheaded the creation of the newly launched AfricaMagic channel
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