Wednesday 21 February 2018

Bolanle Austen-Peters, Wizkid, Davido Make '50 Most Influential Nigerians' List

Bolanle Austen-Peters.
With three  professionals from the arts and culture sector on the list of 50   Nigerians whose activities in 2017 had influence on the country, the creative industry, again, stresses its relevance in building a strong nation.
 Published on Monday, February 12, 2018, 'BusinessDay 50 Most Influential Nigerians in 2017', include who is who in the political and economy sectors. Based in Lagos,, BusinessDay is one of the leading newspapers that monitor Nigeria's financial sectors.  
  Among such influencers listed are top business moguls like Aliko Dangote, a well-known industrialist and Africa's richest businessman;
AbdulSamad Isyaku Rabi, founder and chairman of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate; Jim Ovia, MD/CEO, Zenith Bank; Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede, founding MD, Access Bank; Seguin Adebutu, Chairman/CEO of Petrolex Oil and Gas Limited; and John Obaro, founder of SystemSpecs Nigeria Limited, among others.
  Top on the list is President Muhammadu Buhari, leading other politicians such as Nyeson Wike, Bukola Saraki, Ayodele Fayose and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among other political giants who had influence on the year in review. Also on the list is the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka.
  At 44, 45 and 46 in that order are Wizkid, Davido and Bolanle Austen-Peters, listed by BusinessDay. While the publication describes Wizkid and Davido, each as fast "rising star" in the Nigerian music industry, Austen-Peters is applauded for being "a game changer" in the arts and culture.
 "Bolanle Austen-Peters is the founder and CEO of Bolanle Austen- Peters Productions. She is often described as a game changer who stormed the entertainment industry with a bang and has continued to stay at the top. She runs the popular Terra Kulture, the country’s leading cultural melting spot for artistes and lovers of art. Terra Kulture is at the forefront of the promotion of Nigerian arts and culture, developing talents and creating employment in the sector." Indeed, Austen-Peters has touched every aspect of The Arts, bringing freshness into each area. From the art gallery space, on the top floor of her Terra Kulture facility; to the 'Theatre@Terra' shows, a rejuvenation of theatre-going culture in Lagos; as well as BAP's several live musicals, shown in Nigeria and abroad, Bolanle has no doubt injected entrepreneurial skill into the field of creativity. The enormous creativity among Nigerian professionals were never in doubt before the Terra Kulture phenomenon stepped in. But the coming of Terra Kulture and BAP exposed the great business potential that have been generating employment in the arts and culture sector.
  For the new generation of musicians who have been lifting Nigerian music to a new high, BusinessDay  captures what such artistes truly represent. "Wizkid whose real names are Ayodeji Balogun, is currently one of the fastest rising talented Nigerian entertainers in the music industry with numerous international awards. Wizkid's music has gone beyond the shores of Nigeria through numerous international stage performances and collaboration with international artises such as Akon,Young Jezzy, and Kardinal ofcial. In 2017, Wizkid beat international rivals such as Jay-Z, Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar and others to clinch the best interna- tional artist award at the MOBO Awards."
 As much BusinessDay deserves commendation for including the Nigerian arts and culture sector on its 50 influencers list, someone like Wizkid should have been among the top 20. Reason: Wizkid's phenomenal rise as music super star, within such a short period is unprecedenoted in the country.
 Davido: "David Adeleke, aka Davido, is another fast rising young music star whose music is followed by millions of young Nigerians. Davido clinched a number of top awards in 2017, including the Music of Black Origin award for Best African Artiste and MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act, among many others."
 Trailing Austen-Peters at number 47 on the list is John Momoh.  "A Nigerian broadcast journalist and the Chairman/CEO of Channels TV, which is arguably the most infuential television News Channel in the country. Momoh is renowned broadcast journalist with vast industry experience spanning over three and half decades. He has had a distinguished career in news television broadcasting and is widely recognized in Nigeria as a trans- formative industry pioneer."
 At number 48 is Sam Amuka the publisher of Vanguard Newspaper.  "Amuka, columnist and founder of Vanguard, Nigeria’s leading newspaper. Vanguard has emerged as the leading source online news despite running a widely circulated print version. The newspaper paper has been around since 1983 and is one of the major leading sources of political and general news in the country."
- Tajudeen Sowole

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