Nigerians are a very proud people. It is normal for us to wave the green-white-green flag whenever we are abroad and speak about our Nigerian heritage.
There are many international celebrities who are of Nigerian heritage and proudly identify with the country in the media.
Below is a list of five international male celebrities who are proud to be Nigerians.
1) John Boyega
The 24-year-old star made a name for himself in Hollywood in 2015 when he starred in the franchise movie ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘. When making his press rounds for the movie Boyega let it be known that he was a proud Nigerian. “I’m grounded in who I am, and I am a confident black man. A confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man. I’m proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me” said the Star Wars actor.
2) Wale
The 31-year-old rapper signed to Maybach Music revealed his Nigerian roots early on in his career. Apart from using his Yoruba name, Wale dropped numerous lines about being born of Nigerian parents. In 2013, Wale visited Nigeria for the first time. His time in Nigeria was turned into a documentary called ‘Mo Wa Lati’ and aired on US entertainment channel Revolt. Wale was back in the country this year and attended the wedding ceremony of OAP Toolz.
3) Jidenna
The singer who dresses like a dandy stormed into our consciousness last year when he released the summer anthem ‘Classic Man’. His name Jidenna caught the attention of Nigerians. Shortly after Jidenna revealed he was Nigerian. For this reason, more Nigerians became his fan. Later in an interview with The Breakfast Club Jidenna spoke about being Nigerian. “Nigeria is a very proud place, and it’s also a place where you try to humiliate if you don’t see excellence. In Nigeria its standard to try to check somebody if you see them making misstep. With the words that I said I didn’t make a miscalculation in my experience, but I can see how certain people perceive that.”
4. Chiwetel Ejiofor
The Nigerian-British actor in 2014 said he was proud to be a Nigerian. “During the period of publicizing ‘Twelve Years a Slave‘, I was asked where I was originally from. I suppose I was trying to give an honest answer about where I was born, and so, I said London, which is where I was born. And to me, it was a surprising reaction that people then concluded that I didn’t identify as Nigerian. Of course, I am Nigerian-British, but if they ask me where I was born, I can’t say Enugu, because I wasn’t born in Enugu, but, it doesn’t mean that I don’t identify as Nigerian.”
5. Skepta
Right now Skepta whose real names are Joseph Junior Adenuga happens to be the biggest rapper in the United Kingdom right now. Skepta has always identified with his Nigerian roots. The rapper recently built a playground in his father’s village in Ijebu-Ode.
Olalekan Ajimoti – Blogger, Content Writer, and Digital Marketer helping brands and retailers build 8-figure e-commerce since 2016.
As a corporate trainer, brand communications expert, and brand consultant, I help people start, stay and grow in business leveraging digital skills and traditional expertise.
