Nigeria, though, almost over tormented by her ugly and very recent insecurity and corruption, continues to showcase personalities and celebrities. The recent forbes‘ assessment of the most influential personalities in Africa has shown that Nigeria is not just that nation where Boko Haram, corruption and kidnapping characterize the journal headlines, but also a nation of many personalities and celebrities. It is really interesting to see how they range from writers through musicians. I would want you to discover them yourself.
The 40 Most Powerful Celebrities In Africa, Mfonobong Nsehe, Contributor
Harvard News Office Who are the most influential icons in contemporary African pop culture?
In September, I put out a request for nominations for a list of the 40 most powerful celebrities in contemporary Africa. Within three weeks, over 7,500 entries flooded in. This is the result of your choices. The debut list of The 40 Most Powerful Celebrities In Africa includes
actors, cerebral authors, musicians, movie producers, supermodels, TV
personalities and athletes, drawn from all across Africa and traverses
the generational divide. Don’t be surprised to meet timeless artistic
greats like Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe (ranked No. 1) and
Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi listed alongside younger up-and-comers like
famed Kenyan crooner Eric Wainaina, Ivorian soccer sensation Didier
Drogba (No. 3) and Nigerian screen goddess Genevieve Nnaji. Perhaps not
surprisingly, the list is dominated by musicians.
In Pictures: The 40 Most Powerful Celebrities In Africa
Determining the celebrities who exert the highest degree of influence
in contemporary African pop culture involved sifting through the
nominations for the individuals with the highest numbers of votes, and
then measuring their media visibility (exposure in print, television,
radio and online), number of web references on Google, TV/radio mentions
and their general clout across the continent. Ideally, a robust social
media presence would have been an invaluable yardstick in determining
the intensity of influence these individuals exert over their
enthusiasts. However, apart from Senegalese hip-hop act Akon, Nigerian
beat maker Michael Collins A.K.A Don Jazzy and a handful of others who
boast 6-figure followers on networks like Facebook and Twitter, an
overwhelming number of Africa’s most influential celebrities have
either a very small or non-existent social media presence.
These days, Africa’s favorite idols harness the “currency of
celebrity” to impact social change on many levels. Take Liya Kebede, for
instance: The Ethiopian-born supermodel has leveraged on her celebrity
status to raise awareness about maternal health issues. She currently
serves as the World Health Organization’s Ambassador for Maternal,
Newborn and child health. She also founded the Liya Kebede Foundation,
which seeks to reduce maternal mortality rates in Ethiopia and around
the world by funding advocacy, training and medical programs.
Ivorian soccer star Didier Drogba has also built on the cult-like
following he enjoys at home to call for peace in his war-torn country.
Cote D’Ivoire had been enduring a civil war since 2000. After he led the
Ivorian national team to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Drogba
famously made a plea to the combatants, requesting that they drop their
weapons in pursuit of peace. They listened. A few days later, there was a
cease fire. Apart from playing a pivotal role in the peace process,
Drogba also donated a $5 million endorsement fee he earned from Pepsi to
construct a world-class hospital in his hometown of Abidjan.
A handful of celebrities on this list have done very little to
support social causes, but make the list anyway because of the
overwhelming number of votes they received and the immense acclaim they
enjoy across the African continent and the world.
Here’s a serenade of Africa’s 40 most powerful pop icons. They are
the greatest influencers on African pop culture and their ideas, skill
and actions bring us gratification and inspire conversations.
In Pictures: The 40 Most Powerful Celebrities In Africa
Source: FORBES
”The truth might be hard to say, painful to bear or even drastic for the truth sayer but still needed to be said”. ALISON.
