Celebrating Ndi-Igbo

Sam Acho

2012-01-30T09:10:00.002Z

Acho attended St. Mark's School in Dallas, Texas. He had 12 sacks as a senior and 10 as a junior and was a team co-captain both years.

As a freshman in 2007, Acho played in 11 games, recording six tackles and a sack. As a sophomore in 2008, he recorded 15 tackles and three sacks. As a junior in 2009, Acho became a starter, starting all 14 games. He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 by The Associated Press after recording 55 tackles and eight sacks. Acho was the winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy (2010). This prestigious award is given to college football's top scholar-athlete. After the 2010 season, his teammates named him the MVP of the team.

Acho was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 103rd pick overall of the 2011 NFL Draft. In his rookie season as a Cardinal he made 40 tackles, 7 sacks and 4 forced fumbles.

Source: Wiki

Chile Eboe-Osuji

2011-12-19T12:46:00.002Z

49 year old Chile is Nigeria's first Judge of the International Criminal Court. Chile who was elected on December 12 2011 got 102 votes to pick up the final vacant seat, and also eventually got the highest number of votes cast for any of the 18 contestants.

Eboe-Osuji, who is enrolled both at the Nigerian and Canadian bars is currently the Legal Advisor of the UN High Commission for Human Rights and before that he was the Head of Chambers for the UN International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda. This is his second attempt at the ICC Judgeship having stood also in 2008 ICC elections.

Osuji who hails from Imo State has a Doctor of Laws (PhD) degree [in international criminal law] from the University of Amsterdam. He is married, with three children.

Kelechi Amadi-Obi

2011-12-05T07:43:00.004Z

Kelechi Amadi-Obi, after obtaining a law degree and his call to bar in 1993, settled to full-time studio art. He has earned international renown for both his photography and paintings. His unique style and mastery of aesthetics and creative lighting in his paintings have been reinvented in his photography to create understanding, dynamic and result oriented photography for his clients.

Some of his works have been featured in exhibitions within and outside Nigeria. These include; 2006 "Snap Judgement" - New Position in Contemporary African Photography, International Centre of Photography, New York, USA,2005 "Depth of Field" South London Gallery, UK, 2004, "Lagos" Ifa Gallery, Stuttgart, Germany, 2003 "Transferts" Africalia, Brussels, Belgium. In 2004, he won the St.Moritz Style Award for Photography.

Some of his clients include Guiness Nigeria Plc, MTN Nigeria Plc, PZ Nigeria Plc,British American Tobacco, The Ford Foundation, PrimaGarnet Ogilvy, SO&U, InsightGrey, Nigerian Flour Mills and Orange Drugs Nigeria Ltd.

Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (1933-2011)

Ike Anya

2011-11-28T06:36:00.004Z

Dr Ike Anya is currently Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the Inner North West London PCTs (NHS Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea) and honorary lecturer in public health at Imperial College. He leads on health protection and emergency planning, safeguarding children and support to clinical commissioning groups.

Qualified at the University of Nigeria in 1995 and holds a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RCP UK 2002), MSc in Tropical Medicine and International Health with distinction (2002) and MSc in Public Health (2004) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Specialist training in public health medicine included rotations at Bristol Primary Care Trust, the Health Protection Agency and University College London. Admitted to the Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health (UK) in April 2009.

Ike has taught at the London School of Hygiene, Imperial College, University College London, the University of the West of England and Bristol University. His research interests are in ethics, infectious disease, migration and international health.

Currently a Lead Partner for the General Medical Council, chairing certification and quality panels. He sits on the Black and Ethnic Minority Health Section and Epidemiology and Public Health Section Councils at the Royal Society of Medicine once serving as Secretary.

Past positions include medical officer posts at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, General Hospital Gwarzo and National Hospital Abuja; Board member at the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (2006-10) Vice-Chair of the Trainee Members Committee of the Faculty of Public Health UK, member of the British Medical Association Committee for Public Health Medicine; Board Member of Knightstone Housing Association and acting joint director of public health Hammersmith and Fulham.

Currently member of the Advisory Committee for Medecins Du Monde’s Project: London, and co-founder of the Nigerian Public Health Network, co-organizing the 2008 Partnership for Health Conference. Co-edits the Nigeria Health Watch Blog. One of 100 TED Global Fellows at the TED Africa Conference in 2007, Ike was a co-organizer of this weekend's TEDxEuston.

Founding Secretary of the Abuja Literary Society, he is co-editor of the Weaverbird Collection of New Nigerian Fiction and a contributing editor at Farafina, a literary magazine. His poetry, essays and interviews with writers have been published in Nigeria, the UK and the US.

Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (1933-2011)

Chikodi Chima

2011-11-21T07:49:00.003Z

Chikodi Chima

Chikodi is the West Coast editor of The Next Web. The Next Web is one of the world’s largest online publications that delivers an international perspective on the latest news about Internet technology, business and culture. With an active, influential audience consisting of more than 4 million monthly visits and over 5.5 million monthly page views,

Chikodi covers topics of startups and techpreneurship for top publications such as Mashable, VentureBeat, GigaOm, ScribeMedia, Fast Company, Shareable, The Philadelphia Weekly and The New York Press. His is also co-founding editor of AltTransport, a Breaking Media site about sustainable transportation, cleantech and innovating the ways in which people move.

Based in San Francisco, he's currently working on The Future Journalism Project, a documentary about disruption of legacy media at the hands of emerging technologies.

Chiedu Ifeozo

2011-11-14T08:37:00.002Z

Chiedu Ifeozo was born in Lagos and his family is originally from Ubulu-uku in Delta state. He completed his secondary school education at Kings College Lagos, and graduated with a master’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Surrey, England.

Today he is know as Nigeria's YouTube poet. Chiedu who recently featured in CNN's Inside Africa uses this medium to reach out to his audience.

He self-published his first collection of poetry titled "Thoughts on a page", in 2008, and most of his work follows a spoken word style of writing which focuses mainly on topics such as politics, social commentary, youth empowerment, inspirational poetry and romance.

In 2009, using the profit generated from the sale of his first book, he financed, edited and printed an anthology titled poetry for charity.

His poetry collection was reviewed positively by next newspaper, Nigeria, and his poems have been featured on Badalisha poetry radio, SouthAfrica, Jamati online, Kenya, poetry digest magazine, Nigeria and “how far(cupids edition)” by switchedonnaija.

Okechukwu Ofili

2011-11-07T08:43:00.001Z

Ofili is an International Motivational and Keynote Speaker on the college circuit. Utilizing personal anecdotes and interactive activities he is able to provide instrumental advice that helps guide College and High-School students towards excellence.

He is the author of the inspiring memoir HOW STUPIDITY SAVED MY LIFE and has been featured in magazines and radio stations across the globe. His www.ofilispeaks.com “Monthly Success Tips” have been viewed and downloaded in over 30 different countries.

Ifeyinwa Madu Egwaoje

2011-10-24T07:58:00.001+01:00

Ifeyinwa Madu Egwaoje has committed her life to working to reducing maternal mortality through community work in Nigeria. At age 14, she went through a three year training program with the Girls’ Power Initiative, where she developed her expertise as an adolescent reproductive health and gender development trainer. Ifeyinwa became a facilitator with the organization training young girls to become visible and empowered members of their communities.

She was involved in the implementation of Family Life HIV/AIDS Education curriculum in Edo State using the Learning About Living project. Her desire to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS has made her a trainer and led her to work as the Monitoring and Evaluation officer for a USAID funded project on HIV/AIDS prevention. As part of her national youth service in Nigeria, Ifeyinwa worked as a research assistant with Society For Family Health, providing evidence to malaria, HIV/AIDS and maternal health programs.

In 2010, she became one of a prestigious group of young people around the globe when she was selected as an Ashoka young champion. Currently she is working with the Birthing Project USA in Louisiana and Mississippi as part of a mentoring and training program after which she will go back to Nigeria and replicate the program to suit the Nigerian environment.

Chineze Anyaene

2011-10-10T14:21:00.003+01:00

Chineze Anyaene, 26, is the Award-winning director of IJE. She was also the first student film producer in the history of the New York Film Academy to shoot a feature film on 35mm.

The film "Ije: The Journey" chronicles the story of a young woman from rural Nigeria who immigrates to the rocket-paced, star-crazed world of Los Angeles. And while the personal stories of the director of that film, Chineze Anyaene, and her protagonist are not exactly identical -- the latter ends up on trial for the murder of three men -- there are distinct similarities between the two women who changed their addresses and perspectives from West Africa to the American West.

Chineze recently featured in Levi's action series ‘Shape of what’s to come' - a collection of interviews featuring young women who have contributed positively to the arts and various other fields.

Uche Nwaneri

2011-10-03T12:41:00.001+01:00

Uchechukwu Eberechukwu "Uche" Nwaneri is an American football player who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Uche was born in Dallas, Texas on March 20, 1984. He played Guard for Purdue University after graduating from Naaman Forest High School. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 149th Overall pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Hugh Njemanze

2011-09-26T14:36:00.004+01:00

Hugh Njemanze is the Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer, and Senior Vice President of Research and Development at ArcSight. He leads product development, information technology deployment, and product research at the firm. He has strong recent enterprise software experience from 18 years of relevant responsibilities.

ArcSight headquarters are located in Cupertino, California, USA, with sales offices around the globe including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Latin America, Japan and India. In September 2010, HP (Hewlett Packard) announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire ArcSight for $43.50 per share, or approximately $1.5 billion. On October 22, 2010, HP announced it had completed its acquisition of ArcSight

Mr. Njemanze is also an Advisor at Silicon Valley Internet Capital. He worked as the Chief Technology Officer at Verity, where he led product development. Mr. Njemanze was also employed at Apple in Software Engineering, where he was one of the key architects of the Apple Data Access Language (DAL). He was the co-architect of CL/1 (Connectivity Language One) at Network Innovations, which was later acquired by Apple in 1998.

Prior to that, Mr. Njemanze co-developed several language compiler products at Hewlett Packard.

Hugh who was named in 2010 as one of Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists received a B.S. in Computer Science from Purdue University.

Chukwudi Iwuji

2011-09-12T13:58:00.001+01:00

Chuk Iwuji was born in Nigeria in 1975. When he was ten his parents began working for the United Nations Organization and moved to Ethiopia, sending their son to a boarding school in England. He got in to Yale University to read Economics but was interested in acting and joined the university's drama society. Whilst he was appearing in their production of 'Murder in the Cathedral' he was offered an acting scholarship. He went to a drama school in Wisconsin, graduating in the summer of 2000 and moved back to the United Kingdom, successfully auditioning for the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he has joined the ever-growing number of black actors, including David Oyelowo and Adrian Lester, who have played leading roles with no reference to their colour.

Olivier Award winner Chuk Iwuji is also part of the cast of Sam Mendes' Bridge Project. Richard III. He plays the role of Buckingham in a play spearheaded by Kevin Spacey. The last time Mendes and Spacey paired up they both won Oscars for the film American Beauty. Richard III launched in London on June 18th and will be hitting stateside in January 2012.

Lonzo Nzekwe

2011-09-05T11:34:00.005+01:00

Lonzo Nzekwe is the producer, director and writer of award-winning movie, 'Anchor Baby'

‘Anchor Baby’ tells the story of Joyce (played by Omoni Oboli) and Paul Unanga (played by Sam Sarpong), a married illegal immigrant couple living in the US; they have been ordered by the US immigration to leave the country by voluntary departure. They agree to leave; but only after Joyce who is 5months pregnant delivers her baby inside the US. This will guarantee automatic citizenship for their child. Ignoring the deportation order, the couple goes into hiding. Paul was later caught and deported while Joyce stayed back to struggle on her own to achieve their dream.

‘Anchor Baby’ has won international awards including the Best Film award at the 2010 Harlem International Film Festival and has been officially accepted to screen at the ‘Fans of Film’ film festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Lonzo Nzekwe was born in Enugu State; but is a native of Abia State, Nigeria. In 1997 he moved to England, and in 1999, he triangulated between England, the U.S. and Nigeria. During that period, he enrolled in different diploma programes. He earned a Master Course diploma certificate in Recording Engineering from Audio Institute of Americaand also CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certifications. From 1999, he worked as a music producer with various local hip-hop and R&B music artists.

In 2005, Nzekwe took a break from music production and moved to Canada where he honed his film writing, directing skills. He is a self thought filmmaker and he developed his Final Cut editing skills by enrolling at WITZ Training (Canada's first Apple Authorized Training Centre). He also studied the 2 Day Film School by Dov SS Simens. He then registered Alpha Galore Films under his existing company Alpha Galore Inc.

Sources: BellaNaija, Jamati Online & Anchor Baby Movie Site

Anchor Baby is currently showing in selected Odeon cinemas across London.

Oscar Onyema

2011-08-30T08:14:00.002+01:00

Oscar Onyema is the chief executive officer of The Nigerian Stock Exchange. Onyema holds a B.Sc Computer Engineering degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and an MBA, Finance and Investments, Ziklin School of Business, Baruch College, New York.

Oscar Onyema served as Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President of American Stock Exchange LLC. Mr. Onyema serves as a primary liaison among various Amex operating divisions, the trading floor community, and external constituents. In addition, he is responsible for strategy and competitive analysis, Membership and Registration Department and Market Data Services Department.

Mr. Onyema has been instrumental in Amex's preparation for Regulation NMS. Mr. Onyema joined the Amex in January 2001, and has served in various positions, most recently as Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer.

Before joining the Amex, Mr. Onyema worked at the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) as Senior Analyst for Business Planning and Development. He also worked at DPMS (IBM Business Partner) as a Marketing Executive marketing IBM mid-range systems.

He serves on several industry committees including CTA Operating Committee, NASDAQ UTP Plan Operating Committee, and SIFMA / FIF Regulation NMS working group. He served as an adjunct lecturer at the Economics Department of Pace University for five years, and is a frequent public speaker on market structure and market data issues. Mr. Onyema received an MBA in Finance and Investments from Baruch College in New York City.

Obinna Ekezie

2011-08-22T08:48:00.001+01:00

Born in Port-Harcourt Nigeria, Obinna Okezie is Founder and CEO of ZeepTravel, the parent company of online ticket reservation service, Wakanow.com. Ekezie, a former college and professional basketball player who played professionally as an NBA player for teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, LA Clippers, and Vancouver Grizzlies is determined to change the way ticket bookings are made in first Nigeria and eventually, Africa. TNW Africa recently spoke to the NBA player turned Nigerian internet entrepreneur.

Founded in 2008, Wakanow.com hopes to significantly change the way travel reservations are made in Nigeria and eventually, Africa. Using online travel reservation business models used by companies like Expedia, the company hopes to encourage a culture of online purchases for travel services in Nigeria.

Waka, a Nigerian pidgin English word for walk, leave or go helps define the company’s mission via the website’s name Waka Now, a phrase that means ”Go Now.” Through partnerships with over 45,000 hotels around the world, the company hopes to drastically improve the online ticketing process involved in traveling to and from the continent.

Source: The Next Web

Ojinika Obiekwe

2011-08-15T15:00:00.001+01:00

Ojinika (l)

From A-list celebrities to politicians to the newsmakers of our time, Ojinika Kambili Obiekwe, has interviewed people from all walks of life, with a career in television that has spanned nearly a decade.

Born and raised in Enugu, Nigeria to Victor and Veronica Obiekwe – Ojinika was the second of five children. At the age of 16, after graduating from high school, she moved to the United States for college where she studied Communications at Seton Hall University. Right before graduation, a chance encounter brought her to New York’s Channel 11's WPIX-TV. After her internship, the Executive Producer told her that he was so impressed by her work ethic, that he would hire her without an interview if a position on the assignment desk opened.

As a producer/correspondent for PIX11 Morning News, Ojinka writes, produces and interviews celebrities, politicians and people from all walks of life. In 2007 Ojinika Obiekwe was awarded a fellowship by the National Association of Black Journalists.

Dr Juliana Onwumere

2011-08-08T15:08:00.001+01:00

Dr Juliana Onwumere is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with the Psychosis Service and the Psychological Interventions Clinic for Outpatients with Psychosis (PICuP). She is a Research Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. At the Institute, she is also a Joint Programme Leader for the Postgraduate Diploma in CBT for Psychosis and the Postgraduate Diploma in Family Interventions in Psychosis courses.

Dr Onwumere has a BA in Psychology, a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a PhD in Psychology. After qualifying as a clinical psychologist, she worked in a specialist early psychosis service in East London before embarking on a role as a research therapist in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and family interventions.
Research

Her main research and clinical interests are focused around psychosis – in particular, issues relating to families (and improving the development, training and wider provision of CBT and family interventions), early psychosis and older adults with psychosis.

She has supervised doctoral-level and PhD projects, presented research and run clinical workshops on family interventions at national and international conferences hosted by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), The European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT) and the World Congress of Behavioural Therapies. She is also a member of the Clinical Research Group for Carer Research, which is funded by the National Institute of Health Research’s Mental Health Research Network.

Dr Onwumere previously worked as a research therapist providing CBT and family interventions on a large randomised-controlled trial designed by Professors Philippa Garety, Elizabeth Kuipers, Paul Bebbington and Graham Dunn.

Tiffany Adaeze Ofili

2011-08-01T08:40:00.003+01:00

One to watch

Tiffany Adaeze Porter (née Ofili) (born November 13, 1987) is a British track and field athlete who specialises in the 100 metres hurdles. She initially represented the United States, however switched alligance to Great Britain in 2010. Despite being born in the USA, she is eligible to represent Britain due to her British mother.

Ofili broke Angie Thorp's 15 year old British record of 12.80s on 29 May 2011, at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games, with a run of 12.77s . Ofili-Porter lowered her British record on 22nd July 2011, with a time of 12.60s at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco, breaking her previous personal best of 12.73s (set when she was still a US athlete).

Ofili married her husband, Jeff Porter, in May 2011, and whilst initially being billed as Ofili-Porter, began to compete under her married name from June 2011.

Source(s): Wikipedia, iaaf

Chukwudiebere Maduabum

2011-07-25T11:40:00.003+01:00

Chukwudiebere Maduabum (born March 19, 1991) is a basketball player from Nigeria for the Denver Nuggets. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft with the 56th pick, but was traded to Denver Nuggets.

Chukwudiebere, a 6-foot-9 power forward better known as Chu Chu is the third player drafted straight from the D-League, following in the footsteps of fellow second round picks Mike Taylor and Latavious Williams.

He is one to watch.

Gossy Ukanwoke

2011-07-18T14:08:00.002+01:00

One to watch

Gossy Ukanwoke is the Founder/CEO of Students Circle Network and a student of Girne American University.

Students Circle Network, a Kyrenia-area start-up (Girne American University Roots) founded in 2010 - is an educational social network for college and high school students with interests in providing free course resources/materials, live faculty/teacher/lecturer help to students, scholarship offers, study groups and many more students services across the globe for FREE.

They are currently indexing over 10,431 courses (soon to be live) from over 200 OpenCourseWare member universities across the globe and over 340 live and free to everyone in Business, Computing, Engineering, Sciences and Humanities.

The primary goal of the students circle network is to allow students improve on their academica by creating a community of academic oriented students to share ideas, have project discussions and network.

Web: http://studentscircle.net/live/

Arunma Oteh

2011-07-04T08:25:00.002+01:00

Arunma Oteh became Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Nigeria in January 2010. In this position she is responsible for regulation of Nigeria's capital markets, including the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Arunma Oteh is of Nigerian/British nationality. She is from Abia State. She studied at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Nigeria, earning a first class honors degree in Computer Science. She went on the the Harvard Business School where she obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration. She co-edited the book, African Voices African Visions.

Oteh worked for various institutions including the Harvard Institute for International Development and Centre Point Investments Limited of Nigeria in corporate finance, consulting, teaching and research. She joined the African Development Bank (ADB) in 1992. She was a Senior Investment Officer/Senior Capital Markets Officer from 1993 to 1997, then Division Manager Investments and Trading Room from 1997 to 2001 when she was appointed the Bank's Group Treasurer responsible for fund raising and investments in major international capital markets. Oteh was appointed Vice-President for Corporate Management at the ADB in March 2006, responsible for Language Services, General Services and Procurement, Human Resources, and Information Management and Methods.

The SEC Director General Musa Al-Faki resigned in April 2009 amid criticism of the SEC role in a share-manipulation scandal involving African Petroleum stock.Oteh was nominated Director-General and Executive Commissioner (Legal & Compliance) of the Securities & Exchange Commission by President Umaru Yar'Adua in July 2009, subject to Senate confirmation. Arunma Oteh became Director General of the SEC in January 2010.

Inspired by Abumchi Onyewumbu
Source(s): Wikipedia, DevEx, Securities & Exchange Commission

Chidera 'Chiddy' Anamega

2011-06-22T11:39:00.000+01:00

Rapper Chidera ‘Chiddy' Anamega from the Hip-Hop duo, Chiddy Bang is the current holder of the ‘World's Longest Freestyle Rap' title. The American-based rapper with Igbo roots this year had a rap freestyle running for 9 hours, 18 minutes, and 22 seconds at the MTV organised ‘O Music Awards' to beat the previous record of 9 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds held by the rapper named M-Eighty.

Chiddy Bang is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group consists of Chidera and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin. The duo met in late 2008 during their freshman year at Drexel University, in Noah's hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Their sound is based on the fusion of hip hop and alternative using unique sample choices from artists such as Radiohead, Sufjan Stevens, Passion Pit, MGMT, and Yelle.

Ngozi Edozien

2011-06-10T08:07:00.001+01:00

Ngozi Edozien schooled at Philip Exeter Academy and got into Harvard where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She had her first job in industrial banking before graduating with honours from Harvard Business School. She later joined the prestigious global consulting firm, McKinsey and Company and worked in the United Kingdom and France.

She was a Senior Engagement Manager at McKinsey before being headhunted by pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer which made her a Vice-President of Planning and Business Development. Her exceptional performance led to her appointment as the head of Pfizer’s East, Central and Anglo-Lusophone West Africa (ECAWA) region. As the head of the ECAWA region, she spearheaded Pfizer’s push into community development programmes and new product development. She left Pfizer to head Equity Vehicle for Healthcare in Africa, an IFC/AFDB sponsored Africa-focused private equity fund that invests in Africa’s health sectors. She is currently the chief executive of Actis West Africa, a leading private equity firm.

Nkechi Okoro

2011-05-25T08:23:00.001+01:00

Nkechi Okoro is a TV personality, actress, writer and Founder/President of Rock My Soul Productions. Originally hailing from Nigeria, Nkechi was raised in New York, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and England. By the age of 14 she spoke three languages fluently and was performing and training with the Oxford Youth Theatre in England.

After returning to the States and performing on stages in New York and Philadelphia, Nkechi became dissatisfied with the roles being written for women of color. Not one to sit idly by, Nkechi started writing roles for herself and producing/directing independent content. She originally started producing for theatre in New York and Philadelphia before finally moving to Los Angeles to make the transition from theatre to film and television. This move resulted in the birth of Rock My Soul Productions. Her productions have been featured in film festivals on multiple continents, including North America, Africa and Europe.

Nkechi holds a Masters in International Economics from New York University and a B.A. in Economics and French from the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated with honors.

Stella Okoli

2011-05-11T12:14:00.000+01:00

Stella Okoli is the CEO of Emzor Industries Nigeria Limited, a multi billion naira Pharmaceuticals business.

Emzor Pharmaceutical started off as a retailing chemist shop in January 1977 - with just N5,000 - and has grown to become a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical products as well as other health and medical products. The company, a wholly owned indigenous company, was incorporated in Nigeria in 1984 for the purpose of manufacturing high-quality pharmaceutical products and medical consumables. It currently controls 25 per cent of the analgesic market in the country and produces over 60 time-tested products, which included analgesics, vitamins, haematinics, anti-malarials, anti-tussives, antibiotics, anti-helmintics, anti-histamine, antacid, and cardio-protective drugs in Nigeria and in the West Coast of Africa. Emzor Pharmaceuticals has established offices in India, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, and Mali.

Born in kano, Northern Nigeria, to Felix Ebelechukwu and Margaret Modebelu, of Nnewi, Anambra State, Okoli bagged a first degree in pharmacy from Bradford University, 1969, following it up with a master’s in Bio-Pharmaceutics from the University of London, Chelsea College, 1971. She has held several professional leadership positions, which include chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group, PMG, of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN; member, Nigeria Economic Summit, and member, Health Matters Advisory Board of Nigeria.

In terms of laurels, she is not lacking, parading various national and international recognitions, which include, Member Order of the Niger, MON, Fellow Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Outstanding Service Award, Rotary International 21000, and ECOWAS International Gold Award.

E.C. Osondu

2011-04-19T11:33:00.001+01:00

E. C. Osondu is an Igbo writer known for his short stories. His story "Waiting" won the 2009 Caine Prize, for which he had been a finalist in 2007. Osondu's stories have been published in Agni, Guernica, Vice, Fiction, and The Atlantic. Voice of America, his debut collection of short stories was published in 2010.

In Nigeria, Osondu was an advertising copywriter. In 2008, he was a fellow at Syracuse University in creative writing. In 2010, he is an assistant professor of English at Providence College, teaching courses in creative writing, Introduction to Literature, and the Development of Western Civilization.

"Waiting," published in October 2008 by Guernica magazine, describes life in a refugee camp from a child's point of view. Meakin Armstrong, the magazine's fiction editor, noted that "it isn't pretentious nor rife with literary trickery. It's simply a well-told story about a kind of life most of us couldn't even begin to imagine." In addition to the £10,000 cash award, the Caine Prize also brought Osondu a month's residency at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Osondu's "Voice of America" is included in Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin Anthology of Contemporary African Writing (2009).

Source: Wikipedia

Amara Nwankpa

2011-04-06T08:49:00.000+01:00

Frustrated by his country’s epileptic power supply, and tired of being mocked by his Ghanaian friends, Abuja-based ICT consultant Amara Nwankpa joined forces with other media-savvy Nigerians to set up Light Up Nigeria. It’s an online protest group advocating an urgent resolution to Nigeria’s chronic electricity problem – a situation now so bad that Nigeria was recently reported to have signed an agreement with neighbouring Cameroon to help provide the “giant of Africa” with electricity.

Light Up Nigeria is now a worldwide, online phenomenon with tens of thousands of supporters on Twitter and Face book who are helping to keep the issue of power supply at the top of the political agenda.

32-year-old Amara Nwankpa was recently associated with the youth debate group called What About Us?

Source: AfripopMag

Nonso Diobi

2011-03-30T14:11:00.000+01:00

Nonso Diobi was born July 17th, in Enugu to the Diobi’s family. Nonso Diobi grew up in Anambra state, Nigeria. He grew up with a family of 5, 2 girls and 3 guys. As the last child of the family, Nonso Diobi always saw himself in the limelight and as an independent individual. He began his own mini business at a tender age, selling clothes to his fellow individual at his high school. His parents exposed him to explore his God given talents by doing stage plays at his local church when he was 15years old. He became one of the best in his church drama group.

In the fall of 2001, He decided to take his acting skills to another level by entering into the now famous Nollywood. He featured in his first movie “Border line” which was shot by top director “Adim William”. His first breakthrough movie “Hatred” came right after he did Border line”

Nonso Diobi never looked back, as Nollywood keeps calling on this young, handsome, dynamic, and multitalented star with many movies to his credits. As the first Nigerian actor to be signed unto Jton Productions in New York, Nonso Diobi is using his opportunities to explore other God talents which he plans to unleash within the next few years.

Source: Izogn Movies

Afam Onyema

2011-03-16T08:53:00.000Z

Afam Onyema is the founder and Chief operating officer of the GEANCO Foundation, a non-profit healthcare purveyor.

GEANCO Foundation has a simple goal - to save and improve the lives of vulnerable women and children in the African country of Nigeria. They seek to attain this goal by developing world-class medical, educational and athletic facilities. Their projects will improve health conditions and learning opportunities for Nigerians, enriching their lives and empowering them to strengthen their communities. It follows Afam's father's dream of building a world-class hospital in Nigeria. Afam has since recruited Forest Whitaker, Jimmy Kimmel, politicians, Nobel Prize winners, and members of the Forbes 400 Richest Americans as key donors.

Afam is a graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School. He was recently profiled by Forbes Magazine.

Source(s) Geanco, Harvard Magazine, BBC, LinkedIn

Eddie Opara

2011-03-08T09:11:00.000Z

Eddie Opara is an interactive and graphic designer. Opara's dazzling multidisciplinary range combines technology-based wizardry with solid graphic chops. He is traditionally-trained graphic designer and a self-taught software developer with a perfectly tuned eye and keenly strategic mind.

Born in 1972, Opara grew up in London and attended the London College of Printing. After the London College of Printing, Opara headed to Yale's graduate school of graphic design, where he received his MFA in 1997. He immediately realized that he wanted to reach beyond print design. Opara veered out into the burgeoning field of interactive design, technology and research. He worked for a company named ATG, which was populated by MIT Media Lab grads, then moved to Imaginary Forces, where he focused on electronic environments and motion graphics. He was then recruited by his former professor at Yale, Michael Rock, to work at 2x4, where Opara was finally able to bridge his print and new media personalities into beautiful work for Vitra and Prada.

He left 2x4 to start his own firm - Map Office, where he could also introduce self-initiated projects into the fold. He gracefully moved from creating graphic identities for institution like Brooklyn Museum and the UCLA Architecture and Urban Design School to building Web sites for firms like the Architectural Research Office to programming motion graphic walls for the Morgan Stanley building in Times Square.

Opara's company has also developed technology products like a visualization software system named View for the ad agency JWT, to use in analyzing the effectiveness of the brands it manages. His clients have included the Menil Foundation, the Studio Museum in Harlem, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Queens Museum of Art, the Mori Art Museum, JWT, Vitra, Prada, St. Regis Hotels, the Corcoran Group, Morgan Stanley, New York University, UCLA, Grimshaw Architects etc

Opara has won numerous awards including a Gold Cube from the Art Directors Club and honors from the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and I.D. magazine. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and has appeared in publications such as Archis, Surface, Graphis and I.D.

Opara recently became the 17th and newest partner of Pentagram. Pentagram is the world's largest independent design consultancy.

Watch Eddie Opara (YouTube)

Sources: Creative Review, Fastcodesign, Pentagram

Chinyere Oteh

2011-03-02T12:18:00.001Z

Chinyere E. Oteh is a mother, educator, artist and activist. A 2007 Fellow of RAC’s Community Arts Training Institute, she is involved in several community art endeavors including teaching photography and creative writing for the PPRC Photography Project and Springboard and membership in Yeyo Arts Collective which operates Gya, a community gallery and fine craft shop.

In 2007 she studied the photographic arts full-time for a year at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She received her BA from Washington University in 2002 where she wrote an honors thesis “Mixed Race Identity: A Challenge to or an Affirmation of Racial Categorization.” Oteh strongly believes in the power of art to communicate that which we are often too afraid to speak about.

Oteh is also the founder of the Cowry Collective, a time-banking network in St. Louis in which members exchange services based on time spent on a project instead of the dollar value of their work experience or professional degree.

Oteh, 30, was born in Florissant and moved with her family as a child to Detroit and Washington. She returned to St. Louis in 1998 to attend Washington University, where she earned a degree in American culture studies. She has worked in various local education programs combining arts and creativity with learning.

Source(s): The Nu-Art Series, St Louis Beacon, Google

Jackie Kay

2011-02-23T09:16:00.001Z

Jackie Kay was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1961 to a Scottish mother and an Igbo father. She was adopted by a white couple at birth and was brought up in Glasgow, studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Stirling University where she read English.

The experience of being adopted by and growing up within a white family inspired her first collection of poetry, The Adoption Papers (1991). The poems deal with an adopted child's search for a cultural identity and are told through three different voices: an adoptive mother, a birth mother and a daughter. The collection won a Scottish Arts Council Book Award, the Saltire Society Scottish First Book of the Year Award and a commendation by the Forward Poetry Prize judges in 1992. The poems in Other Lovers (1993) explore the role and power of language, inspired and influenced by the history of Afro-Caribbean people, the story of a search for identity grounded in the experience of slavery. The collection includes a sequence of poems about the blues-singer Bessie Smith. Off Colour (1998) explores themes of sickness, health and disease through personal experience and metaphor. Her poems have appeared in many anthologies, and she has written widely for stage and television.

Her first novel, Trumpet, published in 1998, was awarded the Guardian Fiction Prize and was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Inspired by the life of musician Billy Tipton, the novel tells the story of Scottish jazz trumpeter Joss Moody whose death revealed that he was, in fact, a woman. Kay develops the narrative through the voices of Moody's wife, his adopted son and a journalist from a tabloid newspaper. Her books, Why Don't You Stop Talking (2002) and Wish I Was Here (2006), are collections of short stories, and she has also published a novel for children, Strawgirl (2002). Her collection of poetry for children, Red, Cherry Red (2007) won the 2008 CLPE Poetry Award.

Her novella, Sonata, was published in 2006; her book of poems Darling: New and Selected Poems in 2007; and her dramatised poem, The Lamplighter, in 2008. The Lamplighter was shortlisted for the 2009 Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award. Her Maw Broon Monologues, performed at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, and combining rhythmic verse and music, were shortlisted for the 2010 Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry.

Her latest book is Red Dust Road (2010), a memoir about meeting her Nigerian birth father. Jackie Kay lives in Manchester. In 2006, she was awarded an MBE for services to literature.

Source: Wikipedia.

Chioma Nnamaka

2011-02-16T09:14:00.000Z

Chioma Nnamaka (born June 15, 1985 in Uppsala, Uppland, Sweden) is a professional basketball player of Swedish and Igbo heritage She is a member of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.

Chioma attended high school at Fryshusets Kunskaps Centrum. Playing basketball, she won the Swedish Championship on three occasions. Nnamaka then went to the United States to attend Georgia Tech. She made the Dean's list studying International Affairs, and played basketball for the Yellow Jackets.

Nnamaka was selected 21st overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars with their first pick. She was the highest draft pick ever chosen from Georgia Tech. She was then traded on the same day to the expansion team Atlanta Dream, where she completed her rookie season.

On January 14, 2009 Nnamaka was waived by the Dream, she currently plays for Union Hainaut in France.

Chinonye Chukwu

2011-02-02T08:49:00.001Z

One to watch

Chinonye Chukwu, a third-year MFA candidate at Temple University, is a Nigerian-born, Alaskan-raised screenwriter and director. Artistically, she is most concerned with images that are rich with cultural nuances, often dealing with the complex and contradictory issues of ethnic identity, black female identity and cross-cultural (cross-generational) interaction.

Chinonye’s most recently completed film, Igbo Kwenu!, is the recipient of the PIFVA Subsidy Grant from the independent film community and both the “Best Motion Picture Award” and “Best Screenplay Award” at the 2009 Diamond Screen Festival.

She was also a recipient of a 2009 Princess Grace Award. Presented by the Royal Family of Monaco, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA honors six student filmmakers in the nation.

Currently, she is in finishing up production on another fiction narrative, this time exploring the gentrification of North Philadelphia through a little girl’s desire to be a ballerina.

Born in Rivers State and raised in Fairbanks, Chinonye hails from Otulu in Mbaise.

Aneto Okonkwo

2011-01-19T08:45:00.001Z

Aneto Okonkwo is the Product Manager of Baraza. Baraza is Google’s newest Question and Answer service. It is a service focused on creating ways for Africans to interact and share knowledge by asking and answering questions, many of them hyper local, or of regional interest only.

Aneto was a senior at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, majoring in Management Science and Engineering. He worked at Microsoft Corporation in 2005 as a Program Manager intern in the Microsoft Office Project group. He had previously completed his undergraduate degree in Management Science & Engineering (with a concentration in Organizations Technology & Entrepreneurship) at the same school where he served as Student Body Vice President.

Aneto is an associate of the Nigeria leadership Initiative (NLI) and served as a Technology Analyst for Obama for America Campaign. He was also a member of the Obama Presidential Transition Team on Technology.

Aneto hails from Enugu, Nigeria. His interests include international development and high tech-entrepreneurship. He has also worked for Goldman Sachs, Roche Diagnostics and McKinsey & Company.

Other Links
Q&A - CP-Africa
Google's Africa Play - Reuters

Source(s): CP-Africa, others

Nmachi Jidenma

2011-01-12T12:42:00.001Z

One to watch

22 year old Nmachi Jidenma is currently a Graduate student in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell. Prior to Graduate school she did agribusiness research focusing on African countries for a D.C. based NGO, TechnoServe and performed independent research as an undergraduate student on African Capital Markets.

She also interned at JPMorgan’s New York office and at Accenture’s office in Nigeria. While an undergraduate student, she won the Horn-Theophilus Award for outstanding extracurricular service. She is currently the Founder/Publisher of CP-Africa.com, a Pan-African website that features progressive African ideas, positive trends and inspiring entrepreneurs.

CP-Africa is a new online crusade to reshape the Africa conversation. It began when Nmachi started blogging about progressive things happening in Nigeria on her Facebook page. She later added topics from other African countries and eventually moved the content to a Blogger account.

The CP-Africa website is unique in its strict adherence to publishing positive and progressive content from and about the black continent. It collaborates with other organisations and websites concerned with relevant issues in Africa to deliver up-to-date information about Africans in Diaspora who are doing great. It also employs links to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to reach out to the increasing global network of internet users.

Follow Nmachi on twitter @nmachijidenma

Sources: gbengaawomodu; yourhiddenpotential

Arinze Kene

2010-12-15T08:55:00.000Z

Arinze Kene is an actor and playwright. He is best known for playing the character of Connor Stanley in the BBC's EastEnders.

Born in Nigeria, Arinze relocated to Hackney, East London with his family in the early 1990s as a toddler.

He has also appeared in stage productions such as playing Simba in The Lion King, the short-lived Boney M musical Daddy Cool, and in June 2009 he played strutting lothario Raymond LeGrendre in the musical Been So Long, based on Ché Walker's 1998 play, which opened at the Young Vic. Kene also plays the lead in 2010 UK Film Council feature Freestyle and is currently splitting his time between filming EastEnders in Hertfordshire and rehearsals for his new play Estate Walls which is being staged at the Oval House Theatre, South London.

Sources: soulculture.co.uk

Thanks Cuz

Ikenna Orizu

2010-12-09T12:10:00.000Z

24 year old Ikenna Orizu is the founder and CEO of Tru Spot!, one of the Africa's few Web 2.0 success stories.

Tru Spot! is a social music platform designed to support African artists, fans, local music and the entertainment world at large. Tru Spot! connects users who share similar tastes and brings the artists they love closer to them via interviews and chat sessions. The site also provides live and custom radio streams, music ringtones for your mobile phones and wallpapers.

Tru Spot! started off as a web site named NaijaSpace in May of 2006 - a podacst for African DJ mixes. It re-launched as Tru Spot! when Ikenna decided to scale the project upwards and take African music to a global audience.

Tru Spot! also features a unique live station with well produced shows and hosts. It has about 750 thousand listeners. Tru Spot! also developed the first African radio blackberry web application.

Sources: StartupsNigeria, Wikipedia

Chibundu Onuzo

2010-12-02T10:53:00.000Z

One to watch

London-based Chibundu Onuzo is a 19-year-old Nigerian undergraduate student who recently signed a two-novel deal with the British publisher Faber, making her its youngest ever woman author. Chibundu Onuzo, a history student at King’s College London, will have her first novel, “The Spider King’s Daughter,” published next year. This novel tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a male street hawker and an ajebota girl whose father is a member of the country’s ‘corrupt elite’.

Onuzo is the latest of a new generation of talented young Nigerian writers — many of them female — who have made their mark in the literary world in the past few years. They include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who won the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction for “Half of A Yellow Sun”; Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani who published her first novel, “I Do Not Come To You By Chance,” last year, which has also garnered several awards, including the Commonwealth Writers Prize and Chika Unigwe, an Afro-Belgian author who writes in both Dutch and English. She published her first English novel “On Black Sisters’ Street” in the UK last year and it was described by Alistair Campbell, press secretary to the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, on Twitter as the “best novel so far read this summer.”. These ladies have all been featured on this blog.

Chibundu Onuzo is surely one to watch

Source(s): Faber, CNN, Cassava Republic

Eucharia Uche

2010-11-19T10:27:00.001Z

Eucharia Uche is the head coach of Super Falcons, the current African Women football Champions. Uche entered the history books as the first Nigerian female to hold this position.

Previously Uche had served as assistant coach to the national female team from 2002 to 2008. She assisted Ismaila Mabo when the team participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics as well as the AWC which the team won in South Africa that year. She also understudied Ntiero Effiong in 2002 for the country’s Under-20 team that featured in the World Cup in Canada,

Her third stint with the national team was as an assistant coach with the Under-20 Women’s team that participated in that version of the World Cup in Thailand. She had coached club sides like Delta Queens of Asaba , Ifeoma Babes of Warri, and Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt.

She attended a number of high profile coaching courses within and outside Nigeria. A graduate of Business Administration from the Delta State University, Uche attended the National Institute of Sports, NIS, in Lagos, and the Licence B Coaching Course in California, USA. She bagged a diploma in CAF coaching course held in South Africa. She also attended a number of courses organised by FIFA and the NFF, which include FIFA coaching certificate and the CAF instructors course in Tanzania.

Uche who hails from Mbaise, in Imo State also attended Egbu Girls Secondary School, Owerri.

Source: Newswatch Magazine

Chidi Ahanotu

2010-11-12T09:06:00.001Z

Chidi Obioma Ahanotu is a former American football defensive end in the NFL. Ahanotu was originally selected with the fifth pick of the sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of California. He spent the first 8 years of his career with the Buccaneers. He then played for one year at the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins before returning to the Bucs for one final year. He is currently ranked 5th all time in quarterback sacks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise history with 34.5 Sacks. Chidi Ahanotu is ranked 6th best ever according to the Top 100 All Time Buccaneers List, behind Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, Dave Logan and Dave Pear.

Chidi Ahanotu retired from the NFL in 2005. After retiring he became the founder of Magellan Entertainment Inc a full service Talent Management Firm. One the firms biggest clients is World Champion Sprinter and World's Fastest Man Usain Bolt from Jamaica. Magellan Entertainment co-manages Usain Bolt with its partner Gina Ford of G2 Marketing. The firm also touts as one of its clients 3 time light heavyweight boxing champion Antonio Tarver. As president and founder of Magellan Entertainment Chidi has grown the firm's clients list to include musicians, producers, actors, models, digital media companies and professional athletes. Chidi himself as also grown his own repoire as an actor and a musician as a rapper, song writer, arranger, and executive producer.

Source(s): Linda Ikeji Blog, Wikipedia

Uti Nwachukwu

2010-10-19T12:24:00.001+01:00

After a thrilling 91 days in the Brig Brother Africa All Stars house, Nigerian musician/model/actor, Uti Nwachukwu (17/10) emerged as the winner of Big Brother Africa 2010 – Big Brother Africa All Stars.

Uti Nwachukwu is a 27 year old model and actor from Lagos, Nigeria. Uti previously competed in Big Brother Africa 3 where he finished in tenth place after becoming the third housemate to be evicted on Day 42. Uti entered the house on Day 1.

Uti, who lost his father during his stay in the house, walks away with $200,000, the $1000 cash prize for successfully keeping his ‘secret’, and invaluable popularity across the continent.

Victor Obinna

2010-10-05T12:36:00.000+01:00

Victor Nsofor Obinna (born 25 March 1987 in Jos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a winger for West Ham United on loan from Internazionale.

Obinna in Igbo, literally means "Father´s heart". He played for Chievo in Italy's Serie B, having played regularly in Serie A with the club until their relegation in 2007. He made his full international debut for Nigeria at the 2006 African Cup of Nations, scoring once in three appearances as his side were eliminated in the semifinals.

Obinna played for Nigerian clubs Plateau United and Kwara United were he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman, he went on trials with Italian clubs Internazionale, Perugia and Juventus before signing with Brazilian club Internacional, but international clearance problems meant that the transfer was never finalised. He rejoined Enyimba to take part in their domestic league campaign and CAF Champions League defence.

Obinna was signed by Italian club Chievo on a five-year contract in July 2005. In his first season with Chievo, Obinna scored six goals in 26 games, including a goal on his Serie A debut against Parma in a 1–0 win, 11 September 2005.

In summer 2008, Obinna moved back to Internazionale. On 26 August 2009, Spain's La Liga side Málaga CF signed Obinna on loan from Internazionale for one season. He scored his first goal for the Andalucians on 4 October in 1–1 a draw against Xerez.

On 27 August 2010 Obinna signed for West Ham United on a season-long loan from Internazionale with the option of a permanent deal in 2011. He made his debut for West Ham on 11 September in a 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea. He scored his first goal for West Ham in a 2-1 win against Sunderland in the third round of the League Cup on 21 September 2010.

Obinna was a member of the U-20 Flying Eagles that Won Gold in Benin in the African Youth Tournament in 2005 he was called up to the Nigerian senior squad at the 2006 African Cup of Nations, scoring once before his side's semifinal elimination.

In August 2008, he was named amongst Nigeria's squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Obinna scored Nigeria's first goal in a 2–1 win against Japan the "Flying Eagles' winning goal in the final group match against the USA, ensuring that Nigeria qualified for the quarter-finals.[16] Nigeria were drawn against Ivory Coast who they beat 2–0, with Obinna scoring a penalty and setting up Peter Odemwingie for the other goal. He later captained the Nigerian team when they beat Belgium 4–1 in the semi-final match, before losing to Argentina in the final.

Olisa Agbakoba

2010-09-28T14:53:00.000+01:00

Olisa Agbakoba(OON)(SAN) was born on 29 May 1953 in Jos. He is a maritime lawyer but is more popularly known as a Nigerian human rights activist.

Olisa attended College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu from 1970 to 1972; Government College, Ughelli; 1973, University of Nigeria Nsukka; 1973 1977, Nigerian Law School, Lagos, 1978; and London School of Economics & Political Science 1979 1980. He holds an LLB (Hons) of the University of Nigeria, BL of the Nigerian Law School and LLM (1980) of the University of London.

Agbakoba, is a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association from 2006-2008. He is also the founder of Nigeria's foremost human rights organization, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO).He became known through his work in human rights and democracy movement in Nigeria. He was also the founder of United Action for Democracy and the Zambian pan-African human rights organization AfroNet. He was a defender for the Civil Rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa who was executed and was arrested several times because of his pro - democratic activities.

Also see: Dumebi Agbakoba

Source(s): Wikipedia, Olisa Agbakoba and Associates, Vanguard Newspapers.

Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika

2010-09-22T13:42:00.000+01:00

Major-General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika is the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS). He is the first Igbo COAS since 1966, when Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was the GOC of the Nigerian army.

Ihejirika was born on February 13, 1956 in Ovim, Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Abia State. He commissioned into the army on December 17, 1977 as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 18th regular combatant course.

Prior to being appointed COAS, he was the Chief of Defence Logistics at Defence Headquarters. He was also the former GOC of 81 Division at Lagos, and a former Director of Engineering at Defence Headquarters.

Obinna Nwakeze

2010-09-07T10:38:00.000+01:00

One to watch

Obinna Nwakeze is an All-American and a two-time prep school State wrestling champion. Nwakeze is a perfect 15-0 this year in the 285-pound weight class, and is set on completing the season undefeated with title grabs at both the Fairchester Athletic Association and State tournaments.

As impressive as his mat skills are, Nwakeze is arguably even better in the football trenches. He was an offensive and defensive lineman for the Wildcats, and was recently selected to the Westchester Chapter of the National Football Foundation’s Golden Dozen Scholar Athlete Team.

Obinna who plans on studying Biology at Yale also wants to pursue premedical studies and possibly become an orthopedic surgeon.

Chidera Ota

2010-08-31T08:35:00.000+01:00

Grammar school pupil Chidera Ota leads the GCSE roll of honour with 15 A*s. The 16-year-old studied at Highsted Grammar School, Sittingbourne, which is ranked 58th in the Standard's table of state schools in London and the South-East.

She has gained admission to study Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Maths and Further Maths at A-levels in King’s School, Canterbury. She scored As in English Literature and Language, Maths, Statistics, French, German, Latin, History, Sociology, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. She also made an IT qualification worth three GCSEs.

Chidera, who lives with her Nigerian-born parents - Uchenna, a GP, and Mercy, a nurse - in the Isle of Sheppey, wants to become a doctor.

Congratulations Chidera.

Source(s): Sahara Reporters, Daily Mail(UK) and @419positive (#ff - Twitter)

Ifeyinwa Umeike

2010-08-24T08:10:00.000+01:00

Ifeyinwa Umeike was born on the 21 of April, 1972, the fourth in a family of seven children. She hails from the Igbo tribe of eastern Nigeria whose people are renown for their commerce, bravery and artistry. She is a graduate of economics from the University of Ibadan. She says that art constitutes the greater part of her life, although she received no formal training in this field.

She paints in gouache and has adopted the use of local Nigerian fabrics which add a touch of bright color to the delicate pastel effect of the paintings. The technique of stencil-like cut outs must be carefully observed to appreciate the fine craftsmanship of each painting.

Apart from selling and exhibiting her art in several galleries in Nigeria, she has made a book cover design for the American Women’s Club in Nigeria. It is entitled Lagos Easy Access. She currently resides in Canada and her work can be seen at Galeria Quetzal in Cleveland, Ohio, and Nicole Gallery in McCormickville, Chicago.

You can see more of Ifeyinwa's art here

Source(s): Visual Art, Queensland; Nicole Gallery, Chicago; Galeria Quetzal, Ohio

Chi-chi Nwanoku

2010-08-17T08:29:00.001+01:00

Chi-Chi Nwanoku, MBE is a British classical double bass player and presenter on BBC Radio 3 Requests.

Chi-Chi was born in London of Igbo and Irish parents and grew up in the UK but spent two years in Imo State, Nigeria. Nwanoku graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London with the Principal’s Prize and the Eugene Cruft Double Bass Prize, and was awarded four scholarships, including the Royal Society of Arts, allowing her to further study with Franco Petracchi in Rome.

She was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1998 and awarded an MBE for Services to Music in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2001. She is Professor of Double Bass Historical Studies at The Royal Academy of Music, a visiting Professor at Double Bass at Trinity College of Music in London.

She is principal bass with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (of which she is also a founder member) and Endymion Ensemble, and a regular guest with string quartets and chamber groups. Her instrument was made in 1631 by Nicolò Amati (Cremona).

In the media, she has been involved with programmes on BBC Radio 3 including BBC Radio 3 Requests programme for which she is a regular presenter. She has also appeared on television as a perma guest at the BBC Proms, and has written blogs for The Guardian and elsewhere. She was a judge on BBC television's competition Classical Star in 2007.

As well as supporting many charities, she is a Governor on the board of the National Youth Orchestra, on the Board of Directors of the Association of British Orchestras, a Member of the Council of the Royal Philharmonic Society, a Patron of Music Preserved and on the Board of Sphinx UK.

Thanks to @419positive (#ff - Twitter)
Source: Wikipedia

Precious Williams

2010-08-10T08:13:00.000+01:00

Precious Williams was first published aged eight when her poem took first prize in a poetry competition (she won £2). Since then she has been a Contributing Editor at Elle, Cosmopolitan and the Mail on Sunday's 'Night & Day' magazine. Precious's work has also been published in The Times, Marie Claire, the Sunday Times Magazine, the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, the Financial Times, Glamour, Korean Vogue, New York magazine, Wallpaper and several other publications. Her journalism focuses on health and lifestyle features and celebrity interviews. Notable interviewees include [click on each link to read the interviews] Jon Bon Jovi, Nina Simone, Yoko Ono, Destiny's Child, P Diddy, Bryan Ferry, Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell and Ali G.

Born in the UK, Precious is of Igbo and Sierra Leonean descent and she has lived in London and in New York. She studied English Language & Literature at Oxford and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Periodical Journalism from the London College of Printing.

Her first book, Precious: A True Story is a memoir about her childhood growing up in so-called "private foster care." The book is titled Color Blind in the US. Both editions will be published by Bloomsbury in August 2010. Serial rights to the book have been sold to The Times. A German translation of the book, titled Farbenblind, will be published in October 2010.

Source: http://www.preciouswilliams.com/

Unoma Azuah

2010-08-05T08:04:00.000+01:00

Unoma Nguemo Azuah was born at Ogwashi-Ukwu in Delta State to a Tiv father and an Igbo mother. Most of her formative years were spent at Nsukka as a high school student in Q.R.S.S Nsukka and as an undergraduate in the English Department of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she edited the literary journal—The Muse.

She currently teaches Composition and Creative Writing at Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee. She is an MFA graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. She also has an MA in English from Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, both in the US. The numerous literary awards she has received include, the Hellman/Hammett award, Leonard Trawick award, and the Urban Spectrum National best novel of the year award by an African born writer for her debut novel—Sky-high Flames.

Source: EverythinLiterature. Special Thanks to Sokari Ekine

Nkiru Mokwe

2010-07-22T10:14:00.000+01:00

Nkiru was born in Lagos in 1981. She studied architecture at the Barlett School of Architecture, University College London, where she received the undergraduate Dissertation Prize (2004). After working on the Dalston action plan, she continued her studies at the renowned Rice School of Architecture in Texas.

She has been awarded the Margaret Everson-Fossi Travel Fellowship for excellence in design (2008), the Mary Ellen Hale Lovett Travel Fellowship (2007) and the Deans Visionary Project Award (2007).

Nkiru's work speculates on the future of public space in cities, her future histories addresses issues of hyper density, congestion and scale in the growing megapolis.

In 2009 her work was exhibited at the Anderson Hall, 'Mega Infrastructures: Strategies for Superbia' exhibition in Texas and at the d3 Gallery in Brooklyn, New York.

LINK: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nkiru/show

Chima Anya

2010-07-20T09:08:00.001+01:00

One to watch

Chima Anya is half Igbo and half Romanian. By day, Chima is a medical doctor but as a hip-hop MC his credentials are stellar. Having already shared stages with hiphop legends KRS 1, Amp Fiddler, Flava Flav and having already received support from Mary Anne Hobbes (Radio 1) "A Dope ass MC", Huw Stephen's (Radio 1) "I'm sure we will be playing more of this man" Ras Kwame (1Xtra) "Futuristic hiphop- we are looking for the doctor to come and save hip-hop", DJ 279 (Choice FM) "Hope yet for UK hiphop", Shortee Blitz (Kiss FM), Chima is surely making a name for himself.

His Debut album "New Day" reflects the change that is needed to effect some balance the uk hiphop scene. Entirely produced by Astrosnare, the two hooked up having ascended to the top of the hiphop scene in Oxford making it a natural alliance. The first double AA side single saw Chima enlisting some fellow UK hiphop Luminaries Soweto Kinch and Jehst in joining his campaign to bring some element of swagger, style and substance back in the scene.

Chioma Isiadinso

2010-07-15T08:34:00.000+01:00

Chioma Isiadinso is a 12 year admissions veteran who served on Harvard Business School’s Admissions Board and as former Director of Admissions at Carnegie Mellon University School of Public Policy and Management. She is the founder and CEO of EXPARTUS, a global admissions consultancy. Mrs. Isiadinso has been interviewed by the New York Times, the Financial Times, Business Day, The Guardian and on CNBC. She is the author of The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets and she writes an admissions blog: www.mbaadmissionsecrets.com.

She earned her Master of Education degree from the University of Pittsburgh and graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with Honors degree in Psychology.

Jonathan Obika

2010-07-13T09:23:00.000+01:00

One to watch

Jonathan Chiedozie Obika (born 12 September 1990) is an English footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker.

Born in Enfield, London, Obika is a product of the Tottenham Hotspur youth system and was the top scorer for the academy side in the 2007–08 season. He made his first team debut in the UEFA Cup on 27 November 2008 against NEC Nijmegen. He also played against Ukrainian side FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the same competition. He signed a more secure contract with the club in January 2009.

Obika grew up in Edmonton and attended The Bishop Stopford's School in Enfield.He is also the cousin of singer and former Fame Academy contestant, Lemar.

Nkemdilim Amelia Izuako

2010-07-08T08:45:00.000+01:00

Nkemdilim Amelia Izuako is a puisne Judge and in 2008 was appointed as the first female judge in the High Court of Solomon Islands.

Nkem who sees herself as an advocate for women’s rights and development assisted in mentoring legal professionals in Solomon Islands and helped to develop their potential to hold high judicial office.

Outside the courtroom, Justice Izuako worked to assist social development by mobilising local women to form the Honiara Women’s Initiative, which undertakes micro-projects for the economic and social empowerment of women and girls.

Before moving to Solomon Islands, Justice Izuako worked for more than two decades in the Nigerian judiciary, including working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to put together a Judicial Ethics Training Manual for the Nigerian judiciary. She also served previously in The Gambia for the CFTC from January 2004 to February 2006, serving as a judge of the High Court and Court of Appeal.

In March 2009, she was appointed an ad litem judge to the United Nations Dispute Tribunal, which started on 1 July and took her away from Solomon Islands and to Kenya. The tribunal, which is located in Nairobi, New York and Geneva, works to improve the UN’s system of dealing with internal grievances and disciplinary cases.

Amaka Osakwe

2010-07-06T08:43:00.001+01:00

Amaka is a very talented fashion designer and CEO of fashion label MAKI-OH.

Maki Oh design ethos is to challenge prevailing notions of beauty. It aspires to initiate a continuous recognition and appreciation for self and individuality through fashion. Aroused by a strong sense of identity and African culture, the brand creates alluring conversational pieces that fuse traditional techniques with detailed construction.

The essence of the label stretches beyond physical beauty to a textured, layered and three dimensional aesthetic, embodying the philosophies of preservation, strength, movement and complex simplicity. The seduction of Maki Oh is in its unison of emotion, intuition, sex and fashion.

Amaka is surely one to watch.

Henri Oguike

2010-07-01T08:51:00.001+01:00

Over the past 11 years, Henri Oguike has become one of the most celebrated and exciting contemporary choreographers in Britain. Born in West Glamorgan, Nigerian/Welsh choreographer Henri Oguike studied music, drama and dance at Swansea College. He went on to train at the London Contemporary Dance School and danced with 4D, its postgraduate performance group. In 1994, he became a founder member of the Richard Alston Dance Company and danced with the Company until 1998. Later the same year, a snapped achilles tendon almost saw him bring his career to an end. On finding his focus, he formed Henri Oguike Dance Company in 1999 which quickly made an impact, picking up the Time Out Live Award for the ‘Most Outstanding New Company’ in 2001.

Henri Oguike Dance Company is a contemporary dance company based in London. Henri Oguike Dance Company tours extensively across the UK and abroad and delivers a comprehensive schedule of education/outreach projects. The Company has performed at major festivals of both dance and music including the Sintra Festival (Portugal), Dance Europa (Israel), Holland Dance Festival (Netherlands), Monaco Dance Forum (Monte Carlo) and the 75th Anniversary Season of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (USA). Other international engagements have taken the Company to countries including Austria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, and Syria.
There have also been some major collaborations in the Company’s history - with the Britten Sinfonia which premièred at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds (2005) and with the Portuguese Orquestra do Algarve which premièred at London’s Southbank Centre (2008).

Oguike has been dubbed one of the most musical choreographers of his generation. He has been drawn to a wide range of composers from Purcell and Scarlatti to Steve Martland and Ali Farka Toure. His adventurous spirit and passion for live music has seen him collaborate with internationally renowned musicians including Iain Ballamy, Pedro Carneiro and Taiko Meantime.
As well as impressing with his own Company, Oguike has been commissioned to make pieces for Phoenix Dance Theatre, Holland Dance Festival, Southbank Centre, Transitions Dance Company, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, two prestigious commissions from Portugal - Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporaneo and Companhia Nacional de Bailodo and most recently comissions from Rambert Dance Company and Ballet Black.

Henri was also the Artistic Director of National Youth Dance Wales from 2004 - 2007.

Mildred Okwo

2010-06-29T09:17:00.000+01:00

Mildred Okwo is a lawyer, artist, writer, manager, movie director and producer. She is also the producer of 30Days, a movie that took Nollywood by storm and opened to rave reviews and critical acclaim.

30 Days, produced by Mildred Okwo’s Native Lingua Films in association with Ego Boyo’s Temple Productions, explores the action-packed tensions that arise when very public officials start getting mysteriously executed.

Mildred who grew up in Enugu hails from Nsukka; her mother is from Mbaise in Imo State. She also manages Rita Dominic, Michael Ezuruonye and Ini Edo.

Kenneth Okolie

2010-06-24T08:52:00.001+01:00

Kenneth (Right)

Kenneth was Nigeria’s representative at the 2010 Mr. World competition held in Korea. Kenneth Obinna Okolie who took the 2nd runner's-up position is a 25 year old graduate of Valley View University, Accra, Ghana.

He won the 2010 Mr. Nigeria competition which was organized by the Silverbird Entertainment Group and earned the right to represent Nigeria at the Mr. World competition which was held in Korea.

Mister World 2010, the 6th edition of the Mister World male pageant was held at Incheon, Korea. The competition began on March 11, 2010 and the final was held at Songdo Convensia on March 27, 2010. Over 17 days of competition, 74 delegates took part in a series of events that tested their strength, stamina, mental agility and determination to succeed in the face of adversity. Only the very best made it to the Live Stage Final where they were judged on their style, performance and star quality.

Source(s): BellaNaija, Linda Ikeji, Mr World 2010

Ifeyinwa Aniebo

2010-06-22T10:33:00.000+01:00

Ify Aniebo is currently a PhD student at the University of Oxford. She has a first degree in Medical Genetics from Queen Mary’s University, a MSc in Applied Bimolecular Technology from Nottingham University and has a scholarship from the Prince’s Trust.

Ify has worked at TDL Genetics, Mediserve, the Cambridge Antibody Technology (Medimmune), Illumina Inc , the Sanger Institute, Cambridge and the Wellcome-Oxford-WHO unit in Thailand. She has presented her research at leading malaria research conferences around the world.

Passionate about finding a cure to Malaria, her ambition is to discover a vaccine to the biggest killer disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

At the recent 2010 edition of the Future Awards, Ifeyinwa was named the Scientist of the Year and Future Awards most prestigious award - Young Person of the Year.

The Future Awards, described as Nigeria’s biggest youth event, is the flagship platform under The Future Project, which is an umbrella of youth development projects/programmes that seeks to empower young people and re-direct them towards adding value to themselves and society with strong, positive images/messages.

Source: BellaNaija

Chioma Sideso

2010-06-17T11:33:00.000+01:00

One to watch

Chioma is a Law graduate from university of Kent at Canterbury, England. She also holds an MBA from the University of Leicester England and a Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma (England) and Dip CII from the Chartered Institute of Insurance London.

She has over twelve years of experience and has worked in the financial service sector with several Insurance Companies such as Assicurazioni Generali, the Jardine Lloyd Thomson Group and other Multi-nationals including Barclays Bank Plc and Marks and Spencer Plc.

Chioma who hails from Item in Abia State is currently the President of ADIC Insurance, one of Nigeria's largest composite Insurance services providers.

Samuel Ejikeme Okoye

2010-06-15T15:08:00.001+01:00

Professor Samuel Ejikeme Okoye (26 July 1939 – 18 November 2009) was a astrophysicist, born in Amawbia, Anambra State, Nigeria.

Okoye was a graduate of University of Cambridge, having earned a PhD in the study of Astrophysics defending a thesis regarding Radio Astronomy. Okoye was also a graduate of the University of London, having completed a B.Sc in Physics.

Samuel E. Okoye is best known as the co-discoverer of the Crab Nebula radio source now known to be a neutron star and as a former science columnist for The Guardian. He was a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science.

In 1975 , Okoye joined the staff at the University of Ibadan and in 1976 joined the University of Nigeria where he lectured in Physics and Astronomy and held a number of administrative posts, including Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences (1984–1986) and Acting Vice-Chancellor (July-August 1978).

Professor Okoye’s numerous scientific papers and publications span the ionosphere physics, solar physics, and the theory of extragalactic radio sources and cosmology. He also authored a monograph, Viable and Affordable Policy Objectives for a Nigerian Space Programme. He co-edited two books, Basic Science Development in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects, and The World at the Crossroads: Towards a Sustainable, Equitable and Livable World.

Apart from Nigeria, Professor Okoye also lectured in the Netherlands, the US, and the UK. From 1990 to 1993, he served as a visiting professor/senior research fellow at the Institute of Astronomy, and Fellow Commoner at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge.

He was a member of Nigeria’s official delegation to the United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses of Space in Vienna, 1981 as well as a member of a panel charged in 1984 with producing an integrated energy policy for Nigeria. From 1986-1988, he was the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Awka campus of the Anambra University of Science and technology (ASUTECH).

Professor Okoye was a consultant to the United Nations on the development of space science and technology in developing countries (1979-1986).

Okoye died in London on 18 November 2009.

Nneka Onyejekwe

2010-06-10T08:29:00.000+01:00

Nneka Onyejekwe is an international volleyball player. She plays club volleyball for CSU Metal Galati – champions of Romania for the last three year and unquestionably the best female volleyball team in the country. Nneka also represents Romania at international level.

Chukwuemeka Aneke

2010-06-08T10:08:00.000+01:00

One to watch

Highly rated Chuks Aneke is another product of the famous Hale End youth system, as well as being one of the youngest players to represent England at Youth level.

A central midfielder by trade, Aneke can also play wide on the right or in a traditional “number 10" play making role, using his impressive passing range to create attacks or his vision to arrive in the box and get on the end of them.

His giant powerful physique has led to comparisions with former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieria, his low centre of gravity allows him to turn and roll defenders with ease.

Touted as one of the most exciting players coming through the Academy, 2008, Chuks was one of two players named by Arsène Wenger as ‘technically perfect’, and in July 2009 he signed scholarship forms.

Tinie Tempah

2010-06-03T08:20:00.000+01:00

Patrick Junior C. Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name, Tinie Tempah, is a rapper and MC. Tinie's first music video for promotional single ‘Wifey’, became an underground smash hit holding the Channel U urban chart top spot for 10 consecutive weeks in 2006.

In mid 2009 Patrick released his second mixtape, "Sexy Beast: Volume 1". Inspired by the Ray Winstone film, the CD featured M.I.A. on I’m Hot and proved to be so popular that the South Londoner ended up making another D.I.Y. video in New York. He has been hired by several clubs such as Rochester club Amadeus in the past as an entertainer but is now set to try to further his career by appearing alongside hit artists such as Chipmunk. Wiley once claimed Patrick would never make it, triggering a feud that signalled an end to any dual performances between the popular grime artists. Sources have stated that he is the older cousin of popular British/American recording artist Marvin Divine.

His debut single "Pass Out" has received fore play from Tim Westwood, Nick Grimshaw, Annie Mac, Ras Kwame, MistaJam, Jo Whiley and Chris Moyles while Zane Lowe declared it the "Hottest Record In The World Today" and "Single Of The Week" and is currently on the BBC Radio 1 A Playlist. In addition Reggie Yates named it as the Weekend Anthem for 20/21 February 2010.

According to MTV, Patrick's major label debut album, titled "The Disc-Overy" (pronounced discovery), is due to release in August 2010.

Sources: Wikipedia, tinietempah.com

Kanayo Nwanze

2010-06-01T11:48:00.000+01:00

Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze has more than 30 years of extensive experience in international agricultural research, research management, and development work in Sub-Saharan Africa (Anglophone and Francophone countries) and Asia with the centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Nwanze is a member of several scientific associations and a board member of several Africa-based institutions. In 2001, he was conferred with the title Commander of the National Order of Merit of Cote d'Ivoire in recognition of his outstanding leadership of WARDA and service to the West African subregion. Nwanze holds a B.Sc. in agricultural biology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in entomology from Kansas State University, USA.

In 2009 the Governing Council of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) chose Kanayo F. Nwanze as its next president during its annual meeting in Rome today. Nwanze, a Nigerian national, was the Vice-President of IFAD, a United Nations agency and an international financial institution, whose mandate is to help rural poor people pull themselves out of poverty.

Nyemike Onwuka

2010-05-27T12:46:00.000+01:00

Nyemike Onwuka is one of Nigeria's top emerging art talents. He studied general arts and majored in painting at Auchi Polytechnic. He also went for post graduate studies at Witswatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa where he studied animation and visual effects.
Onwuka's work display mastery of the palette knife. From landscape to portrait, from surreal to abstract, he shows his versatility and an adept touch.

Onwuka's work also draws its inspiration from the binary relationship/duality of beauty and decomposition. Women feature prominently in Onwuka’s body of work and within his paintings they are used to create a disjunction between the attractive subject(s) and artistic techniques that are not conventionally associated with beauty.

Throughout his works Onwuka incorporates issues of storytelling and communication. The perceived interaction of masses brought together in light, shade and use of rustic colour endow his paintings with a strong narrative element.

Sources: ArtRabbit, naijablog.

Oo Nwoye

2010-05-24T08:06:00.000+01:00

Oo Nwoye is a co-founder of OnePage, an exciting digital platform for creating, sharing and storing business/contact cards. OnePage is fundamentally an online business card that is more interactive and dynamic. In 30 seconds, you can create a OnePage card that has all your contact details (email, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Website, etc), which you can share easily. So rather than having a paragraph contact details as your email signature, you have myonepage.com/username. OnePage is continuously evolving and will soon be an indispensible networking tool.

Oo who also leads innovation and product design at OnePage has degrees in Electrical/Electronic Engineering (UNIBEN) and Electronic Business Management (Warwick University). He is an ex-student of Kings College, Lagos.

Oo who hails from Anambra State hopes to inspire a new cadre of Nigerian entrepreneurs through education and mentoring. Oo is surely one to watch.

Ony Uhiara

2010-05-21T08:44:00.001+01:00

Onyi Uhiara is an actress, best known for playing Adele in the BBC sitcom The Crouches, which was broadcast from 2003 until 2005. She was born in the UK of Igbo descent and grew up in East London. In 2002, Ony graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Ony has also featured in The Bill, Doctors, Holby City, Proof and Waking the Dead.

Uhiara has also worked extensively on stage and has appeared in four Royal Shakespeare Company productions, Fall Out by Roy Williams at the Royal Court Theatre and in 2008 she played the lead role in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s In the Red and Brown Water at the Young Vic. She was also nominated for an Ian Charleson award [for her role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Pericles].

She recently returned to the Young Vic as part of ATC Theatre Company’s international tour of Eurydice, directed by the Olivier winning director Bijan Sheibani who is most famous for also directing the critically acclaimed The Brothers Size. Ony plays the lead role – Eurydice.

Eurydice is at the Young Vic, 66 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 from April 29-June 5. Call 020 7922 2922 or visit www.youngvic.org

Bright Chimezie

2010-05-19T09:31:00.001+01:00

Bright Chimezie (born 10 January 1960), also known as Okoro Junior, is an Nigerian Igbo highlife musician originally from Ekeoba, Ohuhu, Umuahia, Abia State of Nigeria. His type of music, popularly known as zigima, became widely available in Nigeria from the early 80s.

Chimezie started playing music as a member of his church choir, an interest that grew tremendously while he was a student at Eke Oba Community secondary school, Umuahia.
After secondary school, Bright established the Modernised Odumodu Cultural Dance Group which became so popular in the whole of Eastern Nigeria. The group specialised in story telling through music. In 1979, Bright disbanded the group and left home for Lagos where he played at several night clubs such as Phoenician Night Club, Gondola Club as well as Tee Mac Connection at Mama Koko Hotel, Ebute-Metta.

While working for the Nigerian Customs Authority (1980-1983), Bright was also busy shaping up his brand of music by producing demos. In 1984, he was informed that Rogers All Stars Recording Company was interested in traditional African music. He went to Onitsha to give them his demo. That was the birth of Respect Africa, the album that shot him into limelight.

Stanley Macebuh

2010-05-17T09:38:00.000+01:00

Macebuh was born on December 28, 1942, and was raised in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He attended Ngwa High School and later King's College, Lagos, before proceeding to the University of Ibadan, where he earned a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in English. He taught briefly at his alma mater, King's College, before heading to the University of Sussex, England, where he earned a Doctorate degree in 1969. At various times, he taught at the University of California at Berkeley and the City University, New York.

Stanley left his indelible prints in his pioneering efforts in the establishment of the Nigerian Guardian newspaper. He was The Guardian's first Executive Editor and Editor-in-Chief; the first Chairman of its Editorial Board, and its first Managing Director. Between February 1983, when the paper took off first as a weekly, and February 1989, when Macebuh left the organisation, he championed the recruitment and led a team of enthusiastic, confident and intellectually robust journalists who redefined Nigerian journalism forever.

He was chairman of Sentinel Communications Ltd and Marissa Investments Ltd (1990 - 93), Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Sentinel Publications Ltd (publishers of Sentinel magazine) Kaduna (1993-95) before becoming MD/CEO of The Post Publishing Company Ltd(publishers of The Post Express 1995-97).

Thereafter, Dr. Macebuh joined the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as Senior Special Assistant to the President (1999-2003). He became Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in 2003 before being redesignated Senior Special Assistant on Policy and Programmes Monitoring, also in the presidency till June, 2006.

Journalism and, indeed, the Nigerian nation owe Dr. Macebuh a debt of gratitude for his priceless contributions to the pen profession as well as to nation-building.

In March 2010, Macebuh passed away at the Intensive care unit of the Abuja national hospital. He was survived by a wife and three children.

Adora Oleh

2010-05-14T08:27:00.000+01:00

Adora Oleh is a broadcast journalist and TV Presenter. She is also the host of The Adora Oleh Show which airs every Sunday at 3.00pm on Sound-city.

Oleh who studied Law, was also last year’s co-host of MTN’s project Fame West Africa. She is the owner, Chiad TV Productions, a business broadly involved with The Nigerian Music Awards in London, Miss Nigeria UK, The Ghana Professional Awards, and The Nigerian Institute of Accountants Award. She has also worked with the Princes Trust (Prince Charles’s official charity) and the MOBO Music Awards.

Last year, Adora hosted the London leg of the This Day Music and Fashion Festival, hosting alongside Trevor Nelson MBE at the Royal Albert Hall. She also hosted alongside Olisa Adibua at the Ovation Red Carol at the Ocean View, Victoria Island. Most recently, Adora hosted the red carpet for the Governor’s Ball and grand finale for Mnet’s Face of Africa.

Adora who once worked for Paramount and Universal Film Studios has had the pleasure of interviewing an array of established personalities from rap and RnB superstars such as 50 Cent, T- pain, Young Joc, Kelly Rowland Lemar, 2 face, John Legend, D’banj, P squared, Estelle, Marlon Jackson, Akon, Banky W, Damien Marley, Sasha, Joe, Olu Maintain, Dare Art Alade, 9ice and Amerie to acclaimed movie directors such as Quentin Tarantino.

Adora holds a post-graduate Diploma in Media Law and Journalism. She also has a postgraduate in Public Relations from the London School of Journalism.

Sources: The Guardian Life magazine, Sun Newspapers.

Uzoma Nwachukwu

2010-05-12T13:35:00.001+01:00

One to watch

Uzoma Nwachukwu, a do-it-all receiver with excellent speed and great route running ability, is on pace to be the most prolific receiver in Texas A&M history.

As a junior, Uzoma caught 22 passes for 335 yards and six touchdowns. Two years ago, Uzoma burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hauling in 37 passes for 617 yards and a pair of scores. Nwachukwu was a four-star receiver on a state championship team.

20 year old Uzoma who chose A&M over Oklahoma and Notre is predicted to be a potential NFL-caliber leading receiver.

Stella Okeahialam, MBE

2010-05-10T09:31:00.001+01:00

Stella Okeahialam (nee Abani) was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for Services to Business in the United Kingdom by her Majesty the Queen in the 2010 New Year Honours List. Her Investiture was held in Windsor Castle in April 2010.

Stella is an alumnus of University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. She grew up in Owerri, Imo State and is an old student of FGGC Owerri.

She moved to UK in 1994 and has been at fore front of Urban Regeneration and Economic Development in London. Her award is in recognition of her achievements as Programme Director for a Business and Enterprise Development Agency in South London.

Stella is married with one daughter and is currently leading the Skills Development portfolio at the London Development Agency.

UK Elections Special (2010)

2010-05-07T08:25:00.001+01:00

Chinyelu Onwurah (Labour), 15,692 votes (45.9%), elected MP for Newcastle Upon Tyne Central.

Chuka Umunna (Labour), 20,037 votes (42.8%), elected MP for Streatham, London.

Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

2010-05-05T17:13:00.000+01:00

Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, 28, was not listed in Time Magazine's May 2010 Edition '100 most influential people in the world as reported, but he is one of Nigeria's celebrated heroes who uses his skills and talents to alleviate the suffering of many rural farmers in South Eastern, Nigeria.

Growing up in Nigeria, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu spent his after-school hours raising poultry and cattle. After high school, as he participated in youth and citizens’ associations helping farmers, Ikegwuonu quickly became aware that the rural community had little access to information about farming practices and environmental issues.

Today, Nnaemeka is multi-award-winning activist/entrepreneur: he developed a sustainable community owned and managed radio through which farmers can share knowledge with each other. He does this by providing valuable information and agricultural marketing techniques to the farmers to boost their sales through his radio station. Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu runs radio station which communicates to farmers in their native languages under the organization name Smallholders Foundation.

Nnaemeka recently won the 2009 Development Marketplace and 2010 Rolex Prize for Enterprise awards.

Sources: Grandiose Parlor, Development Marketplace, Time. Photo: Royal Expressions

Efan Ekoku

2010-05-01T18:39:00.000+01:00

Efangwu Goziem "Efan" Ekoku (born 8 June 1967, in Cheetham Hill, Manchester), was an English born Nigerian former footballer.

During his club football career, he played for Sutton United, Bournemouth, Norwich City, Wimbledon, Grasshopper, Sheffield Wednesday and Dublin City.

He scored Norwich's first ever goal in European competition, against Vitesse in the UEFA Cup on 15 September 1993. Just 10 days later he scored four goals as Norwich beat Everton 5-1 at Goodison Park, becoming the first player to score more than three goals in a Premier League game. He was sold to Wimbledon the following year and spent five years with the club, helping preserve their Premier League status and reach the semi-finals of both domestic cups in the 1996-97 season. Efan was capped 20 times by Nigeria and scored 6 goals.

His brother, Abi Ekoku, is a former British discus champion and also played professional rugby league for the club then known as London Crusaders. Efan currently works as a football commentator and will be covering the 2010 World Cup this summer for ESPN.

Sources: Getty Images, Wikipedia

Angela Onyeador

2010-04-28T08:55:00.000+01:00

Ms. Angela Onyeador is a Lagos socialite, a former beauty pageant/organiser and founder of African Foundation for Arts.

Born to Mr. Alexander Onyeador from Arochukwu in Abia State, Angela and her siblings were brought up in Shell camp in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. Angela attended Shell Camp primary school before proceeding to Queens College, Lagos. She later attended the University College London where she graduated with a degree in Psychology.

In her fifties, Ms Onyeador is still regarded as one of the most beautiful women in Nigeria. Angela will always be remembered as a pioneer of beauty pageants in Nigeria.

Chika Okpala

2010-04-26T09:26:00.000+01:00

Chief Chika Okpala, aka, Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo alias 4:30, is one of Nigeria's greatest comedians. His TV comedy series 'New Masquerade' was probably the funniest of all TV comedies in Nigeria. It ran from 1983-1993. Chika became famous for using incorrect English in his role as Chief Zebrudaya and continued with that style years after New Masquerade was rested.

Chika was born in 1950 and attended St. Paul’s CMS School, Ebenisi-Nnobi, Government School Ahoada Rivers State Baptist Day School and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.The entertainer who has bagged such national honors as MON and MFR.

Chika Okpala is a living legend.

Sources: Linda Ikeji Blog, Wikipedia

Nnenna Stella

2010-04-23T08:30:00.000+01:00

ONE TO WATCH

Nnenna, the lady on the other side of the camera, is an internationally renowned photographer who travels the world capturing beauty.

http://www.nnennastella.com/

Daniel Anyiam

2010-04-21T08:28:00.000+01:00

Daniel Amobi Amadi Anyiam (November 26, 1926 – July 6, 1977) was a Nigerian football player and coach who was the national football coach of the country from 1954-1956 and again from 1964-1965. Prior to training as a coach, he was a player and was the first captain of the national team in 1949. He was also the first coach of Enugu Rangers and was selector for the national team after the Biafran War.

A stadium in Owerri is named after him. He went to C.M.S. Central School, Nkwerre, Orlu, Etinan Institute, and Government Teacher's College, Calabar. He worked in the press offices of the West African Pilot briefly and then joined the staff of U.A.C. in Lagos where he also played football. He was U.A.C.'s captain when they won the 1950 Governor's Cup.

Nnenna Ogwo

2010-04-19T08:28:00.000+01:00

Nnenna started playing the piano at age six, studying at the Peabody Conservatory Preparatory and graduating with honors in piano and composition. She attended Oberlin Conservatory as an undergraduate, followed by the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary for graduate studies. She is completing her Doctor of the Musical Arts degree with Gilbert Kalish at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her former teachers include Ferenc Rados, Lidia Frumkin, and Enrique Graf. She has coached with Gyorgy Sebok, Julius Levine, Leon Fleisher and Bob McDonald.

She has performed in Europe, the Middle East, South America and the United States. As a performer, she has a reputation for exquisite tone color and expressivity, combined with technical command and a thoroughly engaging stage presence. She was the recipient of the Stern Scholarship, the Turner Fellowship and the Fulbright Fellowship Award. She regularly works with composers, performing and premiering their work in order to help insure the vitality and continuity of contemporary music. She is currently the Director of Chamber Music, as well as a member of the piano faculty, at the 92nd St Y School of Music in New York, NY. Ms. Ogwo is presently working on two recording projects to be released later this year. She is the founder of Working Projects, a works-in-progress venue for Brooklyn artists and musicians as well as the Brooklyn Chamber Players, a group of musicians committed to bringing excellent chamber music to diverse communities.
Source: Nnenna Ogwo web site

Sir Louis Mbanefo

2010-04-12T08:51:00.000+01:00

Louis Nwachukwu Mbanefo was born in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria on the 13th of May 1911. He was educated at The Methodist Boys High School in Lagos and subsequently at the prestigious Kings College, also in Lagos, which was modelled on Eton and Harrow Colleges and where he ws a keen Cricketer and Footballer- all these between the years 1925-1932. He was then admitted to the University College London, where he studied Law, graduating Second Class Upper in 1935 and was called to the Bar at The Middle Temple later on in the same year. He was then admitted to Cambridge, where he obtained a further Degree in the Humanities in 1937.

He returned home to Nigeria and set up practice in his hometown of Onitsha and is on record as the first Lawyer from the East of Nigeria. He veered into politics and was elected into the Eastern Region Parliament in 1950, where he distinguished himself as an excellent Orator and Lawmaker. However the pull of the Legal profession was such that he returned after 2 years, but this time to the Bench, as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1952, with his first posting being to Warri in the Mid-West of Nigeria, where he sat as resident Judge.

He was later seconded back to the Eastern Region as Chief Justice in 1961 and in 1962, reached the peak of his Judicial career by appointment to the International Court of Justice, as an ad-hoc Judge, a position he occupied till 1966, when he returned to his post as Chief Justice of the Eastern Region. His appointment to the ICJ being to sit on South-Western Africa Cases i.e. Liberia v South Africa and Ethiopia v South Africa ICJ Reports 1966 ICJ which spanned over four years.

In 1961, he received a Knighthood from the Queen and assumed the title which he proudly answered till his death- Sir Louis Mbanefo.Upon the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War, he was appointed the Chief Justice of Biafra and Ambassador Plenipotentiary. He was actively involved in the Peace talks with the Nigerian Government and worked actively towards a diplomatic resolution of the Crisis. He remained in Biafra till the very end.

He dedicated his later years to Charity and Church work, serving variously as President of the Christian Council of Nigeria, Chancellor of the Niger Diocese- a position he had held since 1946, President of the Anglican Consultative Council from 1972 and a Fellow of the University of London.

Sir Louis died in 1977.

Anelechi Anyanwu

2010-04-09T11:33:00.000+01:00

Dr. Anyanwu is one of few surgeons world-wide trained in all aspects of thoracic transplantation including heart transplantation, heterotopic heart transplantation, heart-lung transplantation, domino heart transplantation and lung transplantation.

Dr. Anyanwu trained in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Harefield Hospital, London, United Kingdom and affiliated hospitals in the University of London Network. He was trained by internationally renowned surgeons including Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, Professor Gilles Dreyfus and Professor Tom Treasure. Under the tutelage of Professor Yacoub and Dr. Ashgar Khaghani, he was trained in Heart and Lung Transplantation. Harefield Hospital has performed more thoracic organ transplants than any other hospital in the world.

At Harefield hospital he was also trained in various aspects of heart valve surgery including homograft implantation, another field pioneered by Professor Yacoub’s team. His other areas of specialized training include multiple arterial revascularization using bilateral skeletonized internal mammary artery grafts. Dr. Anyanwu also has an interest in minimally invasive surgery and received training in this area in London. His interests include reducing invasiveness of surgery by minimizing incisions and tissue dissection, avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass or myocardial ischemia and reducing level of anesthesia and monitoring. He has performed open heart surgery on awake patients with use of epidural anesthesia, a technique that may hasten patient recovery and reduce morbidity in selected patients.

Following his training in England, Dr. Anyanwu joined the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York in 2004 as a Senior Clinical Fellow. His primary interests were Mitral Valve Repair, Complex Valvular surgery, Surgery for Heart Failure and Re-operative Cardiac Surgery.

Under the close instruction of Dr. David Adams, Dr. Anyanwu was trained intensively in the entire spectrum of techniques for mitral valve repair, and is one of only a handful of surgeons in the United States to received formal training in mitral valve repair to a proficient and advanced level. His main interests are in minimally invasive mitral valve repair and mitral valve repair for dilated cardiomyopathies.

Apart from mitral repair, during the Fellowship at Mount Sinai, Dr. Anyanwu acquired expertise in complex re-operative valvular surgery, and heart failure surgery.

Sources: Nairaland, Mitral Valve Repair Centre, Wiki

Chinyelu Susan Onwurah

2010-04-08T08:09:00.000+01:00

Chinyelu Susan Onwurah hopes to become the North’s first black woman MP as she stands for the Labour Party (the Newcastle Central seat) at the next election.

44-year-old Chinyelu was born in Newcastle and attended the city’s Kenton Comprehensive School before leaving and eventually heading to the bright lights of London to go to university. She is currently a Senior Engineer working in the public sector.

“I was honoured when the local members of Newcastle Central Labour Party selected me to fight the next General Election. It is a great city, with a proud history. And whilst the future will bring challenges, it will bring great opportunities too. When the election is called I will be seeking your support to succeed Jim Cousins as your Member of Parliament. I want to use my experience in business and the technology industries to place Newcastle at the centre of a new green revolution” - Chi

Chi On Twitter
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Mike Ezuruonye

2010-04-06T08:28:00.000+01:00

Mike Ezuruonye is a Nollywood actor. He received two nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Actor in a Leading Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2008 and 2009.

Mike was born in Lagos and is the eldest of 4 siblings. Mike attended FGC Wukari, Archbishop Aggey Memorial Secondary School Lagos and Federal Polytechnic Oko. He got his big break when he was spotted by Ruke Amata of the Amata Dynasty buying fuel at a gas station.

Popularly nicknamed Fair Mike, the handsome actor quickly proved his talent and capabilities to convince some of the most influential decision makers in Nollywood, namely director Aquilla Njamah and producer Emem Isong to give him a chance. Director Dickson Iroegbu gave him his big break in the movie "Broken Marriage."

To date Michael has featured in more than 30 home movies among which the critically acclaimed "Critical Decision", "Endless Passion", "Occultic Kingdom", "Unforeseen", and "Beyond Reason."

Mike hails from Uzoakoli in Abia State.

Sources: Wikipedia, Nigeriamovies.net.

Movies
Broken Pieces
House of Doom Parts 1 & 2 (DVD)
Slave to Lust
Heart of Bitterness - Part 1 & 2
Jealous Friend - Parts 1 & 2

Sabina Umeh-Akamune

2010-03-31T08:08:00.001+01:00

Sabina Umeh-Akamune (born Sabina Ifeoma Umeh), is a singer/songwriter and model.

In December 1989, Umeh-Akamune was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1990, taking over from close friend Regina Askia. Umeh-Akamune went on to participate in Miss Universe, Miss Intercontinental, and Miss World, where she won the Miss Personality award.

Since relinquishing her title, Umeh-Akamune has pursued a career in modelling and singing, and is now based in Atlanta, London and Lagos. A graduate of Theatre Arts who specialises in Dance, Choreography and Acting, Umeh-Akamune is co-founder of music production company Juicygroove of which is she Artistic Director.

Professor Anya O. Anya

2010-03-29T11:10:00.000+01:00

Prof Anya (Left)

Professor Anya Oko Anya was born on 3rd January 1937.He attended Hope Waddell Training Institution, Calabar, University College, Ibadan, University of Cambridge, England (St. John,s College) and Moleno Institute of Biology and Parasitology.

He began his working career as a Science Master with Qua-Iboe Mission Secondary School, Etinan, Akwa Ibom State in 1957.He was appointed Research Officer, Federal Fisheries Research Service, Lagos, 1961-1962; Lecturer, Federal Science School, Lagos, 1961-1962; Research Officer, Federal Department of Agricultural Research, Ibadan, 1963-1967; Lecturer in Zoology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1965-1967; Senior Lecturer, University of Science and Technology Project, Port Harcourt, 1967-1970; Senior Lecturer, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1970-1973; Professor of Zoology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka since 1973 and he was the former Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Economic Summit Group Ltd.

Professor Anya has served in various capacities within the Nigerian University system which include: Member, Planning Committee, University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, 1966-1970; Chairman, Senate Committee on Postgraduate Studies, University of Nigeria, 1975-1979; Chairman, Federal Government of Nigeria Committee on Academic Freedom in the Nigerian University System, 1978-1979; Chairman, National Universities Commission, the New Universities of Technology, 1981; amongst others.

Professor Anya's distinctive contribution is in the field of parapsychology. His research for many years has relentlessly tackled the problems of parasitism and parasitoses in the tropical environment of Nigeria. Through personal and group researches, Professor Anya sought to establish vital benchmarks in parasite biology and control, parasite ecology and epidemiology and parasite physiology and biochemistry.

Aside his academic endeavours, Professor Anya has equally served within the Nigerian public and private sectors as Chairman, Niger Insurance Co.Ltd, Director, NAFFCO (Science Supplies) Limited, Chairman, Imo Broadcasting Corporation, Special Consultant, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and later National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.
Professor Anya has over 120 scholarly publications to his credit which include: Science, Development and the Future: The Nigerian Case; Science and the Crises in African Development; and Science Leadership and National Development amongst others.

Professor Anya belongs to several professional bodies which include: Fellow, Nigeria Academy of Science; Fellow, Institute of Biology (U.K.); Fellow, Linnaean Society of London; Fellow, Cambridge Philosophical Society; Fellow and Life Member, Nigerian Society of Parasitology; and Member, New York Academy of Science.

Patti Boulaye

2010-03-25T07:53:00.000Z

Boulaye was born Patricia Ngozi Ebigwei (she changed her name to Boulaye in 1975 after meeting actress Evelyn 'Boo' Laye) in Nigeria in 1954. The last of eight children in a Catholic, high-achieving family, her father was a politician from the Igbo tribe who fled the country when a bloody civil war targeted them.

Although she had hopes of becoming a nun, Boulaye auditioned for a musical after standing in what she believed was a queue for Madame Tussauds, and won a part in a production of Hair. After Hair, she featured in Two Gentlemen of Verona. Her first starring role was as Yum Yum in The Black Mikado.

After Boulaye's starring role in African movie Bisi, Daughter of the River, she came to prominence as a singer after winning the British TV talent show New Faces, where she made history by becoming the only contestant ever to receive the maximum 120 points.

In Nigeria, she was the face of Lux Beauty soap for many years, and The Patti Boulaye Show was shown on several NTA stations.

In 2003, Boulaye launched her West End musical Sundance, which took seven years to make. Hailed as a celebration of "the colours and music of Africa in a display of ceremonial dances, rituals and initiation ceremonies, all played out to the beat of African drums", it was written and produced by Boulaye herself, and opened at the Hackney empire.

Apart from performing, Boulaye's other passion is campaigning for better awareness of HIV/AIDS in West Africa. She founded Support for Africa in 2001 following a visit to Nigeria where she held babies suffering from AIDS.

Source(s): An Interview with Patti Boulaye: The British-Nigerian Actress, Playwright and Charity Organizer, Wikipedia

Music
The Magic Of Patti Boulaye

One Day I'll Fly Away

Woman In Love

Please visit Afrozon, a blog that celebrates fashion and style amongst black women.

Mazi Ukonu

2010-03-23T08:21:00.001Z

Mazi Anyaogu Elekwachi Ukonu was the host of the famous “Ukonu’s Club – Teenagers Playtime” where young adults go to dance and have fun. He was a trailblazer who attracted mutual love and respect along the paths of his life.

In Nigeria during the early 60’s, Mazi Ukonu, as he came to be known, also created programs that demonstrated his love for his profession as he nourished and entertained Nigerians. People were nourished with news and entertained with programs like Telechance which encouraged the talented, especially the youth, to showcase their skills productively.

The legendary Mazi Ukonu of Ukonu’s Club fame turned 80 years old on March 5, 2010. A special celebration to honor this icon of Nigerian broadcast industry will be held at Onu Ibina Igbere on April 3, 2010. Highlights of the month-long celebration will, amongst other things, feature a book presentation of the life and times of Chief, Mazi, Anyaogu Elekwachi Ukonu. The book, entitled, Journey from Medicine to Theater Arts is a biography of Mazi Ukonu as compiled and published by MediaWorks, LLC, USA.

Please visit Afrozon, a blog that celebrates fashion and style amongst black women.

Amobi Okoye

2010-03-18T12:44:00.000Z

Amobi Okoye (born June 10, 1987) is an American football defensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Texans 10th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.

Okoye was born in Anambra State, Nigeria, He moved to Huntsville, Alabama, United States when he was 12 years old. He first started playing football as a sophomore at Lee High School, knowing virtually nothing about the game.

At age 15, Okoye chose the University of Louisville over Harvard, privileging the strong football program of the former over the academic reputation of the latter. At Louisville, Okoye majored in biology. He later switched his major to psychology and graduated a semester early, thereby completing his degree in three and a half years. At 16, he became the youngest player in the NCAA.

Okoye was drafted by the Houston Texans as the tenth pick of the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. He is the youngest player to ever be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft at only 19 years old. He was the highest draft pick to come out of the University of Louisville since the AFL-NFL merger.

Okoye was named Defensive Rookie of the Month for September 2007 after leading the AFC with four sacks. He is the youngest player ever to receive the award.

In 2009, Amobi led a group of NFL players on a community-building trip to Nigeria. His foundation - Amobi Okoye Foundation - sponsored the trip to the country entitled, “Athletes in the Diaspora: Community Interventions.”

The Amobi Okoye Foundation provides hope to kids and communities through a series of programs and services designed to mentor youth and young adults; mitigate childhood obesity and build stronger communities around the globe. The Foundation's global effort, "C.A.T.E" (Changing Africa through Education) provides education scholarships, funds the building of clean water wells, and supports healthcare initiatives in developing parts of Nigeria.

Sources: Wikipedia, Fanblogtexans, Progress Avenue

Chinenye Ivy Ochuba

2010-03-16T08:33:00.000Z

Chinenye Akinlade (born Chinenye Ivy Ochuba) is a former beauty queen.

Born into a family of ten, Chinenye is the seventh of eight children. After finishing secondary school at Regan Memorial Secondary School, she attempted to gain admission to university. It was during this time the eighteen year-old Chinenye won the 2002 edition of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, making her eligible to represent the country at international pageants.

Despite being a favourite for the Miss Universe 2002 crown, she failed to make the Top Ten, but fared better at the Miss World pageant in the same year where she was a finalist, as well as African Continental Queen of Beauty.

Formerly a student at the University of Lagos, Akinlade completed her degree in Accounting and Financing at the University of Greenwich, London in 2008. She returned to Nigeria, where she married businessman Kunle Akinlade, and works for oil company Exxon Mobil.

Sources: Wikipedia, CelebratingAfrica.

Also visit Afrozon (Celebrating Black Women - Style/Fashion)

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

2010-03-12T08:22:00.000Z

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, on Thursday won this year’s Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for the Best First Book for the Africa Region. she is now in pole position for the overall award, to be announced next month.

The writer beat four other writers, including fellow Nigerian, Kachi A. Ozumba, to scoop the Best First Book category, which comes with a £1,000 cash prize. The other regional winner for Africa, in the Best Book category, is South African Marie Heese. This year’s regional nods were dominated by women, with 10 female authors out of the total 14 shortlisted.

Nwaubani won the Commonwealth award for her much praised debut novel about Nigerian email scammer, I Do Not Come To You By Chance. The book, already published in Britain and America, is due for release in Nigeria soon.

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani was born in Enugu, Nigeria. She attended boarding school in the Federal Government Girls College, Owerri and studied Psychology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Sources: Next234

Rose Oby Nwosu

2010-03-10T08:22:00.001Z

Rose is a legal practitioner and a graduate of the University of London, where she obtained an LLB in 1980. She was called to the Bar in Nigeria in 1981. She had worked with the Federal Ministry of Justice from 1984 to 1991, later joined the Corporate Affairs Commission where she rose to become a Deputy Director before retiring into private practice in 2006.

Rose Oby Nwosu, a certified mediator from the Centre for Dispute Resolution in England, is today, FIDA's Regional Vice President for North and West Africa. FIDA is Federacion Internacional de Abogadas. Its objectives include the enhancement and promotion of the welfare of women and children.

James Ihedigbo

2010-03-05T10:55:00.000Z

James Ugochu Ihedigbo was born on December 3, 1983 in Northampton, Massachusetts. He is an American football safety for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2007.

James is the founder of Hope Africa Foundation, a charity which focuses on helping young people from Nigeria and the rest of Africa improve through higher education. He is also involved in the Nigerian Agricultural Technical Community College (NATAC), a college founded by his parents.

James has three brothers, Emeka, Nate and David, and a sister, Onyi. He majored in Sociology at University of Massachusetts; his parents also hold doctorate degrees from the same institution.

Sources: New York Jets, Wikipedia, drjays

Links: Official Site, Twitter

Chidi Okoye

2010-01-07T16:18:00.000Z

Chidi A. Okoye graduated with a distinction in sculpture from the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu, Nigeria, in 1988. For the next six years he taught sculpture and drawing at Federal Polytechnic Oko Anambra State Nigeria. During this period, he created an outstanding collection, not only sculpting, but painting and writing as well. In Nigeria, He had his national solo exhibition “Textures of Life” and launching of his book “Lamentation” at national museum Lagos in 1993 sponsored by Mobil Producing Nigeria. Okoye is as famous for his poetry as for his painting and sculpture.

In 1994 Okoye moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he immediately became involved in a number of projects promoting international artistic exchange and was a leading light in the local Black creative community.

Apart from being the artist of numerous sold-out limited editions Chidi’s works have won the admiration of local and international collectors. Among his long list of works in private and public collection are in Delta Airline Atlanta, Water Resources, Atlanta; Resurrection Life Center Montgomery Alabama; President office, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC; Villa Benzi, Caerano, Italy; Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria, Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; Federal Polytechnic Oko, Nigeria; Mobil Producing Nigeria Head office Logos, Nigeria to mention a few.

Among his long list of solo and group exhibitions includes his most recent international group exhibition “ The Nelson Mandela Unity Series, World Economic Forum, January 26th 2005 in Davos, Switzerland.

Jerome Okolo

2010-01-06T13:29:00.000Z

Jerome I. Okolo was born on 19th October 1966 in Enugu , Enugu State Nigeria. He attended the University School, University of Nigeria; Federal Government College, Kano, (1978-1983); University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, (1983-1985); Tashkent Polypechnical Institute, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 1985; Makeyevka Building and Engineering Institute, Makeyevka, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, 1986; Moscow Institute of Architecture, Moscow, Russian Federation, (1986 – 1992). He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Architecture, and Post Graduate Diploma in Russian Language.

He began his working career in 1992 as a founding Director of TASK Enterprises Joint-Stock Company, Moscow and was responsible for establishing the Information Technology and commodities trading businesses of the Company. Also in 1992, he founded Access Investments Limited, London, also engaged in commodities trading and the production and distribution of fluoropolymers.

In 1995, Jerome Okolo sold Access Investments Limited to Convena Handelsgesellschaft, Hamburg, Germany for a 50% stake in the later company. He then proceeded to set up the Russian office of Convena Handelsgesellschaft and develop its fluoropolymer business. It was as a director of Convena Handelsgesellschaft that he developed strategic partnerships with ICI – Asahi Glass PLC (UK), 3P - Produits Plastiques Performants (France), Sumitomo Corporation (Japan), Heidelberg AG (Germany), Siemens AG Geschaftsbereich A&D AS (Germany), Kirovo-Chepetsky Khimichesky Kombinat (Russia), PermEnergo (Russia), Koch-Glitsch (Russia), Halogen Company (Russia) amongst others. During this period, he also set up Convena International Trade Finance, and with Mr. Burkhard Hedrich (formerly of Dresdner Bank AG), he was co-Managing Director.

In 1992, he left Convena Handelsgesellschaft Hamburg and set up FPT AG in Lucerne, Switzerland and opened subsidiaries in Germany, United Kingdom, Russia and the Crimea ( Ukraine). Under the aegis of this company, Jerome Okolo has continued to maintain interests in companies that build factories to produce and process fertilizers, petrochemicals, thermoplastics and fluoropolymers. He has built factories to produce Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers, polypropylene/acrylic yarns and other packaging materials from woven synthetic yarns.

He is presently Executive Vice Chairman, GeoQinetiq Limited and Chairman, Advanced Building Technologies Limited. He is also the General Secretary of the National Think Tank for Nigeria. Jerome Okolo is married with three daughters and two sons.

Source: Timbuktu Chronicles & TanConf2009

Anna Mbachu

2009-12-18T11:07:00.001Z

Anna is the mayor of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Waltham Forest is a borough in East London, England and forms part of Outer London. It is a mix of built-up residential development and a fifth of the borough is made up of forestland, reservoirs, open space, parks and playing fields. It is located between part of Epping Forest in the east and the River Lee in the west which form two green corridors, passing into London from the surrounding countryside. It is sometimes confused with the adjoining Epping Forest district, which is not in Greater London. Waltham Forest is one of five London boroughs which have been designated host boroughs for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Waltham Forest is also the birthplace of William Morris, best known as one of the principal founders of the British Arts and Crafts Movement, former England Captain David Beckham, England Cricket Captain Graham Gooch and film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock.

Prior to standing as a councillor, Anna was and still is the chairperson for Leyton Ward of the Labour party. She has a BA (Hons) and is trained as a Registered Nurse in Mental
Sources: Wiki, Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Guardian

Ashley Madekwe

2009-12-18T10:39:00.001Z

Ashley Madekwe (born 1981) is an actress best known for portraying 'Bambi' on ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl and the canceled The CW drama series The Beautiful Life.
Madekwe was born December 6th in London, England. She has a GCSE in Drama and BTec from BRIT School of Performing Arts as well one year foundation course at LAMDA. Not only is Madekwe a trained actress but a flamenco and period dancer as well. Madekwe also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. While attending the prestigious school, she appeared in numerous stage productions including King Henry V as Princess Katherine and Wuthering Heights as Catherine Earnshaw.

Madekwe started her acting career by appearing on English police show, The Bill. Since then she has made guest appearances on Teachers, Doctors, Casualty, and Drop Dead Gorgeous. Madekwe landed her first motion picture in the Woody Allen film, Cassandra's Dream. Madekwe played Lucy opposite Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor. Following that success, she played Elisha in the BBC Three drama pilot West 10 LDN, and appeared on six episodes of Trexx and Flipside as Ollie. In 2008, she landed the role of Bambi on popular ITV drama Secret Diary of a Call Girl which eventually was picked up by Showtime in the United States. She may return back for the coming third season but may not due to her new television series The Beautiful Life. That same year, Madekwe starred in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.

She made her official US debut in the canceled The CW drama series The Beautiful Life.

Sources: Wiki & AshleyMadekwe.com

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Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season One
Secret Diary of a Call Girl Season 2