Charles Okpaleke, Davido, and Kunle Afolayan have been nominated by the Nigerian government, along with 336 others, to receive national recognition for their outstanding contributions to the fields of drama and music.
This honours aims to honour Nigerians who have made significant contributions for the benefit of the nation. The recipients of this prestigious recognition were announced by the federal government on May 28, 2023.
David Adedeji Adeleke OON, popularly known as Davido, is a Nigerian Afrobeats icon adored by fans worldwide. Since his entrance into the music industry, he has achieved remarkable milestones, such as being the first solo African artist to sell out the London O2 Arena and leading the production of the 2022 FIFA World Cup soundtrack, ‘Hayya Hayya’. His songs have amassed over two billion streams, solidifying his status as a musical powerhouse.
Charles Okpaleke OON, also known as Charles of Play, is a Nigerian film producer renowned for his talent in transforming Nigerian classics into award-winning films. His debut film, ‘Living in Bondage: Breaking Free’, received seven awards at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards in 2020. Another film, Glamour Girls, is the most-viewed Nigerian film on Netflix.
Furthermore, his game, ‘Aki and Pawpaw: Epic Run’, inspired by the popular 2002 film ‘Aki and Pawpaw’, became Nigeria’s first game to reach the number one ranking in the world after accumulating 100,000 downloads on iOS and Playstore in under 30 hours. Charles Okpaleke is also the co-founder of Play Network Africa.
Kunle Afolayan OON, a Nigerian film producer, actor, and director, embarked on his Nollywood journey in 1999 as an actor in the film ‘Saworoide’. However, he gained widespread recognition for his directorial debut, ‘Irapada’,” which won the Africa Movie Academy Award for ‘Best Film in an African Language’. His recent work, ‘Aníkúlápó’, became the most-watched non-English Netflix original film just 11 days after its release.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then