The Nigerian entertainment industry is, without doubts, one of the fastest growing creative industries in the world.
The industry is propelled by the works of various youngsters in different spheres of the entertainment industry with great and incredible strides.
In the same vein, Lagos has played a vital part, not only as a host and nest for the growth of the creative industry, but also as an ancestral root for some of the big practitioners.
In this edition, Eko Mi, Eko E’s Tosin Brown profiles eight (8) of the leading young Nigerian entertainers, who are descendants of families with ancestry firmly rooted in Lagos, Nigeria.
Wizkid
Nigerian award winning music superstar widely known as Wizkid was christened Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun on July 16, 1990 in Lagos, Nigeria. He was raised in Surulere area of Lagos, where his father claims as his ancestral home. Wizkid’s success is undeniable and his love for Lagos is unrivalled yet unmatched. He graciously sings about Surulere at every given opportunity and even went on to create a global hit narrating his experience in a popular area in Surulere known as Ojuelegba.
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage is unarguably one of Nigeria’s most successful singers and vocalists at the moment. She has inked her name in gold on the Nigerian entertainment scene with music as her forte. The 44-year-old Tiwatope Savage is a mother of one, who has distinguished herself from her peers since her days in the United Kingdom, where she took music as a career path after school. She hails from the popular Savage family in Lagos and has never shied away from her ancestry.
Adekunle Gold
37-year-old Adekunle Gold was born and christened Adekunle Almoruf Kosoko in Lagos, Nigeria. The award winning music star hails from one of the popular Lagos royal lineage, Kosoko family. His entrance into the entertainment industry with music as his foray didn’t come as a surprise to many, who know the relationship between Kosoko offsprings and entertainment. His distant uncle, Prince Jide Kosoko is a popular film star.
Bimbo Ademoye
Abimbola Aisha Ademoye’s star has continued to rise since her breakthrough in the Nigerian film industry. Steadfast and determined, this bundle of talent is another leading Nigerian entertainer with roots in Lagos state. Until her revelation, not many knew that Ademoye is a Muslim raised by a strict and loving father in Lagos. She had all her educational trainings in Lagos and made her fame in Lagos, Nigeria.
Bolanle Ninalowo
Bolanle Ninalowo is widely referred to as Nino on the entertainment scene. The 43-year-old father of two is equally a Lagos born, who has his ancestry firmly rooted in Ikorodu, Lagos. Ninalowo, who returned from the United States of America over a decade back, is one of the famous film stars in Nigeria. His light has continued to shine bright after making it big on the big screens.
Sola Kosoko
Sola Kosoko Abina is one of the lovely daughters of famed film practitioner, Prince Jide Kosoko, who is an Omo Eko pataki frontliner. Sola Kosoko’s state of origin has never been in denial with her surname opening doors and continually ringing the bells of Eko Idumota. She has distinguished herself as a film producer and fantastic actress. Her contribution to the Nigerian film industry, especially with films rendered in Yoruba Language, is of no small measure.
Tayo Sobola
Not many fans of actress, singer and model, Tayo Sobola know that she is a Lagos thoroughbred. Her fashionable and enviable lifestyle clearly gives her a distinctive edge over her peers in the entertainment industry, where she holds sway as an actress and producer. Sobola’s ancestry is traced to Epe in Lagos and though she rarely talks about it, her family members know that one of their own is making them proud and putting their family name on the world map as an entertainer.
Bidemi Kosoko
Bidemi Kosoko ranks top as one of the leading Nigerian entertainers with ancestral lineage firmly rooted in Lagos. It’s common knowledge that Bidemi, just like Sola Kosoko, is one of Prince Jide Kosoko’s daughters. She hails from Isale Eko, Lagos and is a princess by all means. Her role interpretation has earned her more fame than her personality as she drops the toga of a princess or daughter of famed actor cum producer to give her all to her roles and this has distinguished her from her peers.
