Celebrating Ndi-Igbo

Olisa is one of the founding partners of Storm Media Group . Storm group is made up of five arms, including Storm Records . Since 1991, they have been responsible for top-notch music productions including the Top of the Pops, Lekki Sunsplash, Nokia Face of Africa, Big Brother Africa, 100% Naija on Channel O and The Apprentice Africa. Storm records has in her stable artists like 2Shotz, Alay, Dare, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Eldee, GT, Ikechukwu, Jazzman, Naeto C and Sasha. Olisa has also been a host of Big Brother Nigeria and is an inductee into Hip Hop World Awards Hall of Fame. He is one of the most consistent custodians of the hip-hop genre in Nigeria, and right from his days at Clapperboard TV, he has been passionate about breaking new talents into the music scene. Olisa was a popular broadcast presenter with Cool FM he anchored the ‘road show’ - a Monday to Friday evening programme designed to keep listeners’ company as they drive home from work. He also anchors the MTN-sponsored Top 10 Ja...

24 year-old Uche Eze is the brains behind Bella Nigeria . Bella Naija is a Nigerian celebrity blog that passionately publishes fashion, entertainment news, info, gossips and gists. The blog also profiles Nigerian and African celebrities around the world. The site aspires to become Africa’s Number 1 music, style, movie, TV and beauty website. The site which started since July 2006 as a blog has become the most popular celebrity, fashion and entertainment news site for Nigerians in the Diaspora and back home. Uche aspires to make the site Africa’s Number 1 music, style, movie, TV and beauty website.

Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy was born in Awka, Anambara State, Nigeria, and took up painting as a profession in 1988. Much of her work is in pastels and oils, and her subjects range from portraiture and landscape, to pictures which capture the traditions and cultures of the African continent. She has exhibited widely and her work is represented in public and private collections in France, Grenada, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, United Kingdom, and U.S.A. She received worldwide recognition for painting the official portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her Golden Jubilee Other recent commissions include the President of Norwich City Football Club, Mr Geoffrey Watling; His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; His Excellency Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Secretary-General of The Commonwealth; President of the Senate, Grenada, Margaret Neckles; Lord Mayor of Norwich, Derek Wood, Diagio Africa MD & ...

Sophie is a London born, Academy Award -nominated actress. Her father is Igbo and her mother, an Ashkenazi Jew who was born in the East End to Yiddish-speaking immigrants from Poland and Russia. Okonedo trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She has worked in a variety of media including film, television, theatre, and audio drama. She performed in Scream of the Shalka — a webcast based on the BBC television series Doctor Who — as Alison Cheney, a companion of the Doctor. As well as providing the character's voice, Okonedo's likeness was used for the animation of the character. Okonedo also played the part of Ms. Tulip Jones in the movie Stormbreaker (2006) and Nancy in the 2007 television adaptation of Oliver Twist. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda and nominated for a Golden Globe for a Lead Actress in a Miniseries for her work in Tsunami: The Aftermath . She rec...

Chief Osadebe was a Highlife musician, from Atani in Anambra State. His career spanned over 40 years, and he is one of the most well known Igbo highlife musicians. He started his career when he was 23. He played with the Stephen Amache Band for awhile, and then continued his career with the Central Dance Band. In 1964 he started his own band, Soundmakers International. Oasadebe spends most of his time playing highlife music; due to this he is considered to be one of the top highlife musicians. In 1981 he was awarded with a gold disc for the LP Onu Kwulonjo. By the mid-'80s, Osadebe was at the height of his career selling over 700,000 records with his hit album Osondi Owendi. Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe died on 11 May 2007 aged 71. Music Sound Time Kedu America Classic Hits The Best Of Chief Osita Stephen Osadebe & His Nigerian Sound Makers

Ngozi is from Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. She was educated at Harvard University and earned her Ph.D. in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also the former Finance Minister and Foreign Minister of Nigeria, notable for being the first woman to hold either of those positions. She served as finance minister from July 2003 until her appointment as foreign minister in June 2006, and as foreign minister until her resignation in August 2006. She was once considered as a possible replacement for former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. In 2007 she was appointed as Managing Director of the World Bank by World Bank President Robert Zoellick. Her NGO, NOI Global Consulting, partnered with the Gallup Organization to introduce an opinion poll, the NOI poll, into the Nigerian polity. She is a fellow at the Brookings Institution and serves on the Advisory Board of Global Financial Integrity and the World Resources Institute . Okonjo-...

Valentine Obi (Left) Valentine is the CEO of eTranzact , the first online real-time payment system that allows account holders to pay for goods and services purchased from merchants without stress in Nigeria. The concept behind eTranzact is doing business without barriers. The initial targets for this electronic payment solution was the payment of telephone bills. However, this payment solution now handles all payments for utilities, money transfers, and all other transactions, which are currently cash based.

Chimamanda is an acclaimed Nigerian writer. She comes from Abba in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria. She was born in the town of Enugu but grew up in the university town of Nsukka in south-eastern Nigeria, where the University of Nigeria is situated. At the age of 19, she left Nigeria and moved to the United States. After studying at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Chimamanda transferred to Eastern Connecticut State University to live closer to her sister; who had a medical practice in Coventry (now in Mansfield, Ct), and to continue studying communications and political science. She got her university degree from Eastern, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2001. She recently completed a master's degree in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She is now pursuing an MA in African Studies at Yale University . Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus , was published in 2003 and won the Best First Book award in the 2005 Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Her...

Ugo Monye, born 13 April, 1983 in Islington, London is a rugby union player for Harlequins in the Guinness Premiership and England. He is mainly known for his blistering pace and his ability to get to the tryline no matter where he gets the ball. He has also represented England Saxons in their victorious 2008 Churchill Cup campaign, scoring a number of impressive solo tries in the campaign, including in the final. Ugo Monye's position of choice is either on the wing or in the centres. He played many games in the 2007/2008 season at centre due to a shortage of centres. Monye has been capped at Sevens level, as well as full international level for England national rugby union team.

Ezebuiro Obinna aka Dr. Sir Warrior, was the leader of the famous Oriental Brothers International Band which ruled the Nigerian highlife music scene for several decades. Born in Umuhu, Inyi-Ogwugwu in Agbaaja, Mbaise. Sir Warrior started his music career as a part of the most successful bands in Nigeria in the 1970s, the Oriental Brothers International Band. At a time of immense loss and great struggle after the Biafran War, the Oriental Brothers offered a rare light of hope. According to the Igbo magazine Kwenu, “the Oriental Brothers played a very important spiritual role in keeping many Igbo sane. They were the pride of a people traumatized by a war so vicious.” The band later split, leading to Prince Ichita & the Great Oriental Brothers International Band, Oriental Brothers International, and then the original Dr. Sir Warrior & His Oriental Brothers International, simply called The Oriental Original. Warrior’s discography is luminous with over 100 tracks that continue to be...

Genevieve Nnaji is a popular actress from Mbaise in Imo State, Nigeria. She attended Girls Secondary School Akwakuma, Owerri, Imo State and the University of Lagos. Genevieve found mainstream success in Nollywood, Nigeria’s movie industry’s nickname, in 1998, and has consistently added accolades, such as singer, producer to her resume. In 2004 she became the face for Lux soap in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal. Among other actors and actresses, she released her first album, titled No More, in 2005, following a one year acting ban in Nigeria. In May 2008, Nnaji launched her clothing line St. Genevieve which was a success with the Nigerian public. She also later on returned to acting and has since then starred in many great movies like Legal war and Behind the truth Movies Keep My Will - Genevive Nnaji - African/ Nigerian Movies Girl's Cot Private Sin 30 Days the Movie Silent Scandals

Benedict Enwonwu, better known as Ben Enwonwu was a renowned painter and sculptor. Born in Onitsha and schooled in government colleges there before travelling to pursue secondary education in Europe, Benedict Enwonwu grew up to become perhaps the foremost Nigerian artist of his time. In England he studied Fine Art, Aesthetics, History of Western Art and Anthropology and began an artistic career in earnest. Working with diverse media in his painting and sculpture-wood, bronze, metal, plastics, plaster, cement, oil and watercolors, Enwonwu's work was popular throughout his career, which was brought to international attention when Queen Elizabeth II sat for him at Buckingham Palace in the late 1950s. Enwonwu exhibited sculpture around the world, at London's Berkeley galleries (1947), Howard University (1950), the Galerie Apollinaire (1950), the Goethe Institute (1976) and the Museum of Contemporary Art, New York (2001). He also wrote of the politics contained in visual art cultur...

Racial Studies from Trinity College Dublin, a B Sc in Social Studies Education, a Nigerian Certificate in Education and an Advanced Certificate in Mass Communication from various Nigerian colleges. He has worked as a journalist for the print and online editions of The Irish Times, and has also written for Garda Review and the Irish Catholic. He has made numerous TV and radio appearances, including on Prime Time, Mono, Morning Ireland, Rattlebag, Today with Pat Kenny and Tonight with Vincent Browne, along with many other programmes. He also worked for the News Agency of Nigeria. In 2006 he was the recipient of one of the ESB/Rehab People of the Year Awards. Chinedu founded the Metro Eireann Media and Multicultural Awards (MAMA) to honour people and groups across Ireland (north and south) who work to combat racism and promote cross-cultural understanding. In 2006 he established the Permanent TSB Ethnic Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. The maiden awards were presented by President Mary Mc...

Mary Onyali has truly made a name for herself in the track and field world, establishing several prestigious marks on the way. Popularly called the Queen of Nigerian sprints, Mary continues to hold the Nigerian 200 meters record, and is still ranked in the top 10 of the collegiate all time list in both the 100 and 200 meters. Mary Onyali-Omagbemi won the bronze medal in 4x100 metres relay at the 1992 Summer Olympics and in 200 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics . She performed especially well in the All-Africa Games , winning a total of 7 individual medals in the short sprints. She won 100 metres in 1991, 1995 and 2003 and took a bronze medal in 1987. Gold medals in 200 metres were taken in 1987, 1995 and 2003. Furthermore, the Nigerian 4x100m relay team won all races between 1987 and 2003, at the African Games. Mary is married to marrying Victor Omagbemi. Personal bests * 100 metres - 10.97 (1993) * 200 metres - 22.07 (1996) * 400 metres - 54.21 (2000) Source: Maryonyali....

Anyone you watched Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony on CNN , wouldn’t have failed to spot commercials describing a skin care product called Adure . Dr Iheatu Obioha is the man behind Clear Essence Cosmetics USA Inc, the manufacturers of Clear Essence, Adure and Chimere skin care products. Clear Essence® Skin Care System was developed to address the skin care concerns of men and women of color. Today, the company’s products are distributed worldwide in the United States, Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean Islands and Canada. The products are manufactured at the company’s FDA-approved, 40,000 square-feet facility in Ontario, California. Iheatu is a graduate of the University of Maryland, and an illustrious philanthropist .

Chinyere was Nigeria's first female pilot and she currently heads the flying school at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria. In 2006, Chinyere was conferred Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR)

Perhaps one of Africa’s greatest footballers, without doubt the most entertaining footballer that Africa has ever produced, Jay-Jay is listed in football legend Pelé's FIFA 100 (a list of the greatest 125 living players of all time). Born in Enugu, Okocha started his soccer career with hometown club, Enugu Rangers International In 1992 Okocha joined Eintracht Frankfurt where he linked up with many well-known players including Ghanaian international striker Tony Yeboah, German keeper Thomas Ernst and later Thomas Doll. In 1996, Okocha joined Turkish giants Fenerbahçe following Eintracht Frankfurt's relegation to Bundesliga 2. While at Fenerbahçe he became a Turkish citizen. In 1998 French side PSG splashed around $24 million on Okocha, making him the most expensive African player at the time. Okocha joined Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer after leaving PSG in the summer of 2002. He quickly became a favourite with the Bolton fans, with the team printing shirts with the i...

Ken's technology career spans over 30 years, commencing with IBM where he held various posts in systems, engineering, sales and marketing, before joining Wang Laboratories in 1981. Ken moved on to test his entrepreneurial mettle by founding Interregnum in 1992 which was floated on London’s AIM exchange in 2000. At Interregnum, Ken worked at the forefront of the entrepreneur/technology growth cycle. As well as serving on the Boards of many of Interregnum’s investment and advisory clients, Ken notched up some interesting firsts, including chairing the IPO of Vossnet, the UK’s first Internet Service Provider (ISP) DMATEK the first Israeli technology company to be listed on AIM. He was also a principal advisor to, and Director of, uDate.com - one the UK’s few dotcom successes which was sold to USA Interactive in 2003. Ken retired from Interregnum in 2006 and founded boutique technology merchant bank – Restoration Partners. He is a Director of Thomson Reuters and Canadian software d...

Lewis Iwu is the first black president of the University of Oxford 's student union and the current world university debating champion. He is tipped in many quarters as a possible British prime minister one day. Iwu was elected president of the union in 2007 and took up his post in June 2008. About 3,500 students voted in the election and Iwu beat his nearest rival, Olivia Bailey, by 450 votes. Weeks after becoming president of the union, Iwu won the world university debating championship with his debating partner, Samir Deger-Sen, then an Oxford student. Victory was particularly sweet because they set a world record by winning the debate with 25 points - the previous best had been 24. Iwu who grew up in Newham - one of the capital's most deprived boroughs - went to St Bonaventure's in Forest Gate, a boy's comprehensive with one of the best records in London for getting black pupils into university, 22 year old Iwu is most definitely one to watch.

Nnamdi Asomugha is an American Football cornerback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft (31st overall) by the Raiders. He played college football at California ( UC Berkeley ). Nnamdi attended and played high school basketball and football at Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, California and Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California before transferring to and graduating from Narbonne High School in Los Angeles, California. Asomugha was selected as the Oakland Raiders Team Captain for the 2008 season. Universally considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, the 2008 season proved to be a spectacular season for Asomugha. He finished the 2008 season with 40 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 9 pass deflections. He received the Oakland Raiders "Commitment to Excellence" Award for the second time and was named the team's 2008 Co-Most Valuable Player along with running ba...

Died 2000 Pius Okigbo was an eminent economist who was regarded by many as one of the most outstanding Nigerians of his generation. A world-renowned economist, academic and administrator, Pius hailed from Ojoto in Anambra State. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics through private study, after which he proceeded to Northwestern University, where he earned an MA and Ph.D in Economics. As a scholar, he contributed a great deal in propelling into academic discourse new methods for solving African economic problems. He gained academic acclaim in Nigeria when he published a book on the national accounting standard of Nigeria. Pius lent his service to public scholarship and policy; he was also chairman to a number of Nigerian committees, particularly those dealing with the economic direction of the country. In 1994, as chairman of a committee to probe the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he released a report critical of the government's role in mismanaging 12.4 b...

Kizzi Nkwocha is a media consultant and PR specialist, described by the UK's PR Week magazine as "one of the industries fastest rising stars." He is based in the United Kingdom. At 21, he became the UK's youngest newspaper editor, editing the 10-edition Recorder Group in West London. After the Recorder, Nkwocha worked as programming editor of Broadcast Magazine. He was also guest editor of international celebrity magazine, Society. Kizzi is best known for his years as a reporter at the News of the World weekly tabloid newspaper. As a public relations consultant Nkwocha, known for his flamboyant dress styles has served as a publicist for Wasim Akram; multiple mum Mandy Allwood, who was pregnant with eight babies; Britain's oldest mum, Liz Buttle; mistress of President Bill Clinton Gennifer Flowers ; Michael Perham, the youngest person to sail across the Atlantic single-handed and Dragons Den businessman, Levi Roots . In 2001 Kizzi was voted by The Voice newspaper ...

"I think I reflect a lot of African beauty. I am African. And I am beautiful." - Oluchi Onweagba Oluchi Onweagba's sensual face, perfect figure and infinitely long legs have helped her to the top of the fashion league in the world, where she's modelled for everyone from Gianfranco Ferre to Gap. Oluchi has come a long way since 1998, when, as a young 16-year-old she scooped the M-Net "Face Of Africa" contest. "Face Of Africa" earned the 6ft 2in catwalk star – one of five children born to a nurse and a civil servant – a three-year, $150,000 modelling contract with Elite. And she's also set new standards for what's sexy in fashion. When you take into account Oluchi Onweagba's humble beginnings, you have to admit the level of success she's achieved is incredible. She has made a number of appearances in the Victoria's Secret fashion show and four consecutive placements in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue are nothing to sn...

General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ikemba Nnewi was the leader of the state of Biafra and previously Military Governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. Esteemed by many, this Igbo hero was born in Zungeru, to Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu (KBE). Emeka attended Epsom College , in Surrey and later earned a Masters degree in history at Lincoln College , Oxford University. He joined the Nigerian military and graduated from the prestigious Sandhurst Military Academy in England. He then became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army and Military Governor of Eastern Region. Following an Igbo pogrom in the Northern Region of Nigeria, Igbo leaders met in the Eastern Region and decided to declare the region independent. Emeka was chosen by them to lead the new country named " Biafra " after the Bight of Biafra. Ojukwu left Biafra as it collapsed in 1970. He subsequently lived in exile in Côte d'Ivoire for 13 years. In 1980 President Alhaji Shehu Shagari pardoned Ojukwu and allowe...

Died in 1966 Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi was born to Mazi and Ezugo Aguiyi on March 3, 1924, in Umuahia -Ibeku, Abia State, Nigeria. At the age of 18, Ironsi joined the Nigerian Army where he excelled in military training at Eaton Hall, England. He became a commissioned officer in June, 1949 and served as the Aide de camp to John Macpherson , Governor General of Nigeria. During the Congo Crisis of the 1960s, the United Nations Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld , appealed to the Nigerian government to send troops to Congo. Lieutenant Colonel Ironsi led the 5th battalion to the Kivu and Leopoldville provinces of Congo. He was soon appointed the Commander of the United Nations Operation in the Congo . In 1964 Ironsi was appointed the first Nigerian General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Nigerian Army. Following the unsuccessful coup in January 1966 led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Ironsi became the country's first military Head of State. On July 29, 1966, Ironsi spent the ...

Died 1967 Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, was born in the Northern Region’s capital of Kaduna to Igbo parents. He was an infantry and intelligence officer of the Nigerian Army. He attended the military academy at Sandhurst in England, and was a promising military officer who eventually became the Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna. In the early hours of January 15, 1966, citing a long list of complaints against the political class, Nzeogwu led a group of majors in a military coup against the Nigerian First Republic. The Prime Minister, a federal minister, two regional premiers, along with top Army officers were executed. The coup unfortunately failed and he was arrested after arriving in Lagos on January 18, 1966. He was initially detained at Kirikiri maximum security prison but then transferred to the East. He was released from jail by Lt. Col.Emeka Ojukwu at the end of the first quarter of 1967 following demonstrations by students of the University...

Mandy was brought up in the Northern part of England by an Igbo father and English mother. She visited Lagos, Nigeria for the first time at the age of 9 where she lived and studied. At the age of 15 Mandy secured a record contract with Faze 2 Records, which was the hip, cutting-edge independent label at the time. Mandy represented our generation with her poppy electro-boogie NYC freestyle sound. Her first album was Breakthrough, which contained the monster hit and record breaking single - "Taxi Driver". Mandy cut another album - All My Love soon after, which was also a big hit. Just before her 19th birthday, Mandy vanished from the scene. In her words she left “to explore the world”. She relocated to Nigeria recently after almost two decades living in the UK. Mandy who hails from Asaba is an extremely committed and professional Writer, Presenter & Singer. She is a graduate of the London Academy of Media, Film & TV . Mandy has appeared on the UK's Channel 4 and h...

Chinua Achebe is an outstanding writer famous for his novels describing the effects of Western customs and values on traditional African society. Achebe's satire and his keen ear for spoken language have made him one of the most highly esteemed African writers of our times. He was born in Ogidi, Nigeria; Achebe attended Government College in Umuahia . Like other major Nigerian writers including Wole Soyinka, Elechi Amadi, John Okigbo and John Pepper Clark, he was also educated at the University College of Ibadan , where he graduated with a BA in English, history and theology. In the 1960s he was the director of External Services in charge of the Voice of Nigeria. During the Nigerian Civil War (1967-70) Achebe was in the Biafran government service. Together with writers like Cyprian Ekwensi and Gabriel Okara, he toured the United States to raise awareness about the dire situation in Biafra. They visited thirty college campuses and conducted countless interviews. Achebe was a...