Stargist 12 Most Influential Celebrities

In the last year we have brought over 4,000 stories to 600,000 readers within and outside Nigeria covering Nigerian celebrity news, style and gossip.

We decided to mark this first 12 months by covering the 12 most influential celebrities in Nigeria. Our selection process was pretty tough with several names coming up across the media and entertainment.

Those who made this list are not just celebrities, they are also very influential. Their level of influence was measured by their  impact in their industry and their celebrity status by their reach and impact on the lives of people on a large scale.

Enjoy!

Don Jazzy 

Music

Don Jazzy, whose real name is Michael Collins Ajereh, is a quintessential producer and hit maker. The natural born Mavin challenged the Nigerian music industry like a matador, grabbed the struggling bull by the horns and conquered it.

Don Jazzy exemplifies the term ‘boss’ in all ramifications and this can be seen in his multifaceted talents including singing, songwriting and producing. Engineering hits after hits with Mo Hits, Don Jazzy mentored the likes of D’Prince, Dr Sid, Wande Coal and Kay Switch, partnered with Dbanj and ushered them into to success and limelight.

The Mo Hits ship sank but Don Jazzy rose like a phoenix from the ashes establishing the Mavin Records and churning out household anthems one of which is his recent viral track, Dorobucci. With numerous awards and endorsements to his name prominent of which are MTN, Samsung and Loya Milk, Don Jazzy has really improved the music/entertainment industry in Nigeria and is truly a force to reckon with in the Nigerian music scene.

ChimamandaAdichie

Art

ChimamandaNgoziAdichie is a Nigerian writer who has been called “the most prominent” of a “procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors that is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature”. Adichie was an A student who often butted heads with her teachers. Despite her reputation, she received several academic awards.

Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus (2003), received wide critical acclaim and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (2005). Her other prize winning books include, Half of a Yellow Sun, named after the flag of the short-lived nation of Biafra, is set before and during the Biafran War, The Thing Around Your Neck (2009)and Americanah (2013).

Kenyan Oscar winner, LupitaNyong’o has also gotten the rights to adapt Americanah as a screenplay making it Chimamanda’s second novel to be adapted after Half of a Yellow Sun. Her fellow advocate of Feminism, Beyonce featured one of Chimamanda’s speeches on one of her recently released tracks, ”Flawless”.

Linda Ikeji

Internet

Her readers are addicted to her blog, some log in several times a day, others leave them permanently open leading to the joke that many offices have a “Linda Ikejidepartment”.When she started blogging seven years ago, she had no clue where it will lead. Today her blog rakes in millions per year for her.

With an estimated 3 million monthly readers, her stories become instant talking points among internet-savvy Nigerians on and offline. The comments generated help many get through their boring or annoying day.

Linda Ikeji is one of the few creating a Nigerian dream others can relate to and believe in. Little wonder there are thousands of Nigerian bloggers trying to make it like her. Her story is indeed remarkable and without doubt is one of the most influential individuals on the Nigerian web.

Chaz B

Radio

Charles Bruce Chukuma, popularly called Chaz B by his radio audience, hails from Delta State, Nigeria. With over 20 years of experience in the Hospitality Management Industry of the United States of America, Chaz B consults on management turn around in the hotel and entertainment sectors in Nigeria.

With a distinct voice purring through the Lagos airwaves, Chaz B’s hallmark show is “SHARING LIFE ISSUES WITH CHAZ B”, which earned him the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Awards for 2010 as the best On Air Personality in Radio and the show is rated the number one show across the city of Lagos.‘Listening to Chaz B is like listening to a clergyman, a man of strong moral conviction and religious beliefs. And you begin to wonder if he is an ordained priest, and if he is, what is he doing in broadcasting’

Chaz B continues to be a strong voice through his program, ‘Sharing Life Issues with Chaz B’, which airs on the Rhythm Radio Network every Monday to Friday at 5.30-7.oo pm, as well as other network programs in the works.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye

Religion

The life of Enoch AdejareAdeboye is a fulfillment of the scriptures in Zechariah 4: 10 which declare “despise not the days of small beginnings.” Born in 1942 into a humble family, Enoch Adeboye often humorously states that his family was so poor that even the poor people called them poor. He unashamedly tells his congregation that he never owned shoes until he was eighteen years of age. What he possessed though were physical intangibles such as focus, consistency, diligence, ambition, a brilliant mind and a determination to succeed in life.

In 1977 when he was ordained a Pastor in RCCG, Enoch Adeboye manifested an incredible passion for the work of the Lord, pioneering Bible Study meetings, Crusades, Revivals, Outreaches and the evangelistic programs known as the Congress.

Although the founder left a sealed document pronouncing Enoch Adeboye as the succeeding General Overseer, his transition into office was not smooth but met with some resistance. For several years, he has been honored to serve as Pastor and /or spiritual counselor to Heads of States, Ministers, political leaders and national decision-makers.

BasketMouth

Comedy

Bright Okpocha prominently known as Basketmouth wears the crown as Nigeria’s ‘lord of the ribs.’ From humble beginnings in the University of Benin, the Lagos State born comedian has organized quite a lot of comedy concerts across the globe. Only 35 years of age and brimming with significant potential, Basketmouth shot into widespread recognition when he came in contact with Nigerian comedy pioneer, Ali Baba in 2001.

His hit comedy concert, Basketmouth Uncensored, holds in different countries and it rakes in a lot of millions. He has mentored a lot of upcoming comedians and has been instrumental in carving out the niche that the Nigerian comedy industry is today.

With an array of awards and endorsements from big wigs like Glo, the ever humble Basketmouth refuses to see himself as the best in his chosen field. He is a happy father of two and husband to a gorgeous wife.

AlikoDangote

Business

The billionaire was once again featured on TIME magazines 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. His Dangote group employs over 21,000 people with revenues of over 450 billion naira per year. His companies account for about 30% of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Aliko attributes his success to faith, foresight, prudence, hard work, passion for service, choosing the right businesses to pursue, generosity and taking calculated risks. He has donated over 5 billion naira of his wealth personally and through his foundation to political, social and health programs.

His prudence doesn’t stop him from living the life as he’s said to have three private jets in his hanger. He once said that it took him 30 tortuous years to become a billionaire but youths of today want to become gazillionaires faster than Usain Bolt. Even though he is usually found in the company of Tony Elumelu, Femi Otedola and Bill Gates, Dangote still finds time to hangout in the entertainment scene and mentor the young ones. He once did an interview with MTV base and attended PSquare’s wedding and Davido’s album launch

FunkeAkindele

Movies

AkindeleOlufunkeAyotunde better known as Jenifa is a Nigerian actress, screen writer and producer.

After many unsuccessful auditions, Funke made her first screen appearance at the age of 21 in a popular TV family drama I Need To Know which was sponsored by the United Nations in which she acted as a 15 years old teenager. And from then on, she began to star in yoruba movies. Developing a passion for writing, she began to write, produce and feature in her movies which include ‘TaiwoTaiwo’, ‘Apaadi’, ‘Jenifa’, Return of Jenifa, Omo Ghetto, ‘Maku’, ‘Agbefo’, ‘Ekuro’.

Of all her movies, Jenifa (comedy/drama) which was written and produced by FunkeAkindele has been her most successful movie till date. What made the movie outstanding was the fact that she convincingly translated her role which was an unsusual one as she was not a comedy actress. Her Endorsements include: GLO, Klin Detergent, Jobberman, Lagos Inland Revenue Service, Vitafoam, 1960Bet and The BRT,

Read the full article on StarGist below:

http://stargist.com/2014/06/02/stargist-at-one-meet-the-12-most-influential-celebrities-in-nigeria