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Nigerians are doing extraordinary and remarkable things abroad. This cuts across different areas, bits, and talents. They are those that the nation could be proud of at any point. Here is a list of some of them.
1. Akinwunmi Adeshina: Akinwunmi is the current president of African Development Bank. A position he thoroughly deserves because of his amazing record as a distinguished public servant. A graduate of the University of Ife,(now Obafemi Awolowo University) Adeshina is Nigeria’s former Minister of agriculture and his time in office revolutionized the sector in Nigeria. He particularly intiated a transparent process in the sector’s fertiliser supply chain which helped the cause of local farmers thereby increasing farming activities and boosting food production across the nation. Before his appointment as a minister by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Adeshina had a stint at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) where he served as vice president of policy and partnerships. He also previously worked at the Rockefeller Foundation.
2. Arunma Oteh : She is the current vice president and treasurer of the World Bank. Ms Oteh is credited for sanitizing Nigeria’s capital market during her time as the Director-General of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The University of Nsukka graduate, had stints with the African Development Bank, Harvard Institute of International Development and Centre Point Investments Limited, Nigeria before she was appointed as SEC DG by Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Efforts by some unscrupulous politicians in Nigeria’s House of Representatives to rubbish Oteh’s achievements was rebuffed by the Abia state-born woman, who exposed the legislator’s demand for bribe, after which she was given a clean bill of health by PricewaterhouseCoopers following allegations of financial impropriety against her.
3. Mohammed Barkindo: He was recently appointed as the secretary general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). His appointment didn’t come as a surprise to industry experts as Barkindo has been a major stakeholder in international oil politics for over a decade. He was also the former special assistant to Late Rilwan Lukman, also a former secretary general of OPEC. Apart from his rich history in oil and gas, The 56-year old also has experience in the banking sector and international trading companies. He was appointed as the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 2009. He was however booted out of office by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 after which he returned to OPEC. Barkindo has an honourary doctorate degree of science from the Federal University of Technology Yola (FUTY).
4. Babs Omotowa: Shell International has recently appointed Babs Omotowa as the Global Vice President (S&E). Babs Omotowa is the outgoing managing director and chief executive officer of NLNG. He will complete his time at NLNG on September 1, 2016 and report to the upstream director across Shell’s conventional, unconventional and deepwater global businesses.
5.. Babatunde Osotimehin: Ogun state-born Osotimehin is the Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and he is currently serving in his second term of four years. Before his appointment as UNFPA head, Osotimehin was Nigeria’s minister of health under Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Before then, he was the Director-General of the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), a position where he achieved great success. In October 2009, Osotimehin was applauded for his directive to Nigerian hospitals to treat accident and gunshot victims. His directive was timely as many innocent citizens had lost their lives due to the hospitals negligence. Osotimehin is a member of the Nigerian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Institute of Management and Royal College of Physicians (UK) among others.
6. Yemi Babington-Ashaye: Babington-Ashaye is the head, Global Shapers Community and director at the World Economic Forum. He started his career as a Chartered Accountant (ACCA) and was a member of the Financial Management Programme at the financial services unit of the American conglomerate General Electric – GE Capital. While working for Nigeria's former minister of finance,Okojo Iweala, as technical advisor for economic growth, he ensured the integration of economic data and information into the decision-making process, which culminated in the development of State of the Nation reports that guided policy priorities. In addition to overseeing fiscal policy matters, he also designed stakeholder outreach sessions which were effective and applauded by financial experts.
7. David Oyelowo: The Selma actor and black James Bond was born to Yoruba parents in London, England. In his 20s, David enjoyed a very successful career on the London stage, receiving his formal training from the London Academy of Drama and Music Art. He has starred in a number of hit TV shows and movies – Spooks, The Butler, The Passion of the Christ and the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, Selma – and is happily married to a British actress named Jessica.
8.John Boyega: John, Hollywood’s new kid on the block was raised by Nigerian parents in Peckham, South London. He started acting in school plays from an early age right down to his late teens when he trained at the Identity School of Acting, Hackney. Before his huge breakout role in the latest installment of theStar Wars franchise, he acted in the film adaptation of Half of A Yellow Sun, written by fellow Nigerian, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Notably, he was an acquaintance of Damilola Taylor, the Nigerian schoolboy in England who was gunned down in 2000. The story made major headline news.
9. Duro Olowu: US First lady Michelle Obama has this talented Nigerian-born designer to thank for her signature flowery prints. Duro was raised by a Jamaican mother and Yoruba father in Nigeria before being shipped off to a boarding school in London, England. He was a huge fan of fashion from an early age, but his parents were against it as a career. Fortunately, he won them over, and has enjoyed major milestones in his career ever since – a partnership deal with popular US brand, JC Penney in 2014 and the honour of designing the White House in 2015.
10. Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi: After winning Nokia Face of Africa competition in 1998, the black beauty has graced the covers of Italian Vogue and ELLE, with features in Nylon, Marie Claire and Allure magazines. She is considerably one of the most sought-after models of her generation, and now manages upcoming talents with her agency, OModels in South Africa.
11. Hakeem Kae- Kazim: Hakeem spent the early part of his life in Lagos, Nigeria before moving to London for training in the Briston Old Vic Theatre School. He went ahead to act in a range of well-known movies like the thrilling Hotel Rwanda, Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.You may also recognize his distinct voice from Call of Duty 3 and Halo 3 video games among others.
12. Biyi Bamidele: John Boyega has also worked with this phenomenal Nigerian talent. Biyi is an internationally acclaimed novelist and film director with several international awards under his belt. You may know him as the director of Half of A Yellow Sun and the Mo Abudu production, Fifty which premiered to rave reviews last year. He spent the first 22 years of his life in Kaduna, Lagos and Ile-Ife before heading to the UK to kickstart his career.
13. Dr. Bernet Omalu: When Hollywood decides to film a movie based on your life, then you know you’ve hit it big. The Nigerian-American physician, forensic pathologist and neuropathologist has gone down in history as the first to publish findings on chronic tramautic encephalopathy, changing the face of sports medicine as we know it. His theory highlighted concussions during gametime as the cause of dementia found in some National Football League players; a theory which faced major uproar from the community. After learning of his story, Will Smith portrayed him in the 2015 bipoic, Concussion.
1. Akinwunmi Adeshina: Akinwunmi is the current president of African Development Bank. A position he thoroughly deserves because of his amazing record as a distinguished public servant. A graduate of the University of Ife,(now Obafemi Awolowo University) Adeshina is Nigeria’s former Minister of agriculture and his time in office revolutionized the sector in Nigeria. He particularly intiated a transparent process in the sector’s fertiliser supply chain which helped the cause of local farmers thereby increasing farming activities and boosting food production across the nation. Before his appointment as a minister by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Adeshina had a stint at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) where he served as vice president of policy and partnerships. He also previously worked at the Rockefeller Foundation.
2. Arunma Oteh : She is the current vice president and treasurer of the World Bank. Ms Oteh is credited for sanitizing Nigeria’s capital market during her time as the Director-General of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The University of Nsukka graduate, had stints with the African Development Bank, Harvard Institute of International Development and Centre Point Investments Limited, Nigeria before she was appointed as SEC DG by Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Efforts by some unscrupulous politicians in Nigeria’s House of Representatives to rubbish Oteh’s achievements was rebuffed by the Abia state-born woman, who exposed the legislator’s demand for bribe, after which she was given a clean bill of health by PricewaterhouseCoopers following allegations of financial impropriety against her.
3. Mohammed Barkindo: He was recently appointed as the secretary general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). His appointment didn’t come as a surprise to industry experts as Barkindo has been a major stakeholder in international oil politics for over a decade. He was also the former special assistant to Late Rilwan Lukman, also a former secretary general of OPEC. Apart from his rich history in oil and gas, The 56-year old also has experience in the banking sector and international trading companies. He was appointed as the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 2009. He was however booted out of office by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 after which he returned to OPEC. Barkindo has an honourary doctorate degree of science from the Federal University of Technology Yola (FUTY).
4. Babs Omotowa: Shell International has recently appointed Babs Omotowa as the Global Vice President (S&E). Babs Omotowa is the outgoing managing director and chief executive officer of NLNG. He will complete his time at NLNG on September 1, 2016 and report to the upstream director across Shell’s conventional, unconventional and deepwater global businesses.
5.. Babatunde Osotimehin: Ogun state-born Osotimehin is the Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and he is currently serving in his second term of four years. Before his appointment as UNFPA head, Osotimehin was Nigeria’s minister of health under Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Before then, he was the Director-General of the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), a position where he achieved great success. In October 2009, Osotimehin was applauded for his directive to Nigerian hospitals to treat accident and gunshot victims. His directive was timely as many innocent citizens had lost their lives due to the hospitals negligence. Osotimehin is a member of the Nigerian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Institute of Management and Royal College of Physicians (UK) among others.
6. Yemi Babington-Ashaye: Babington-Ashaye is the head, Global Shapers Community and director at the World Economic Forum. He started his career as a Chartered Accountant (ACCA) and was a member of the Financial Management Programme at the financial services unit of the American conglomerate General Electric – GE Capital. While working for Nigeria's former minister of finance,Okojo Iweala, as technical advisor for economic growth, he ensured the integration of economic data and information into the decision-making process, which culminated in the development of State of the Nation reports that guided policy priorities. In addition to overseeing fiscal policy matters, he also designed stakeholder outreach sessions which were effective and applauded by financial experts.
7. David Oyelowo: The Selma actor and black James Bond was born to Yoruba parents in London, England. In his 20s, David enjoyed a very successful career on the London stage, receiving his formal training from the London Academy of Drama and Music Art. He has starred in a number of hit TV shows and movies – Spooks, The Butler, The Passion of the Christ and the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, Selma – and is happily married to a British actress named Jessica.
8.John Boyega: John, Hollywood’s new kid on the block was raised by Nigerian parents in Peckham, South London. He started acting in school plays from an early age right down to his late teens when he trained at the Identity School of Acting, Hackney. Before his huge breakout role in the latest installment of theStar Wars franchise, he acted in the film adaptation of Half of A Yellow Sun, written by fellow Nigerian, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Notably, he was an acquaintance of Damilola Taylor, the Nigerian schoolboy in England who was gunned down in 2000. The story made major headline news.
9. Duro Olowu: US First lady Michelle Obama has this talented Nigerian-born designer to thank for her signature flowery prints. Duro was raised by a Jamaican mother and Yoruba father in Nigeria before being shipped off to a boarding school in London, England. He was a huge fan of fashion from an early age, but his parents were against it as a career. Fortunately, he won them over, and has enjoyed major milestones in his career ever since – a partnership deal with popular US brand, JC Penney in 2014 and the honour of designing the White House in 2015.
10. Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi: After winning Nokia Face of Africa competition in 1998, the black beauty has graced the covers of Italian Vogue and ELLE, with features in Nylon, Marie Claire and Allure magazines. She is considerably one of the most sought-after models of her generation, and now manages upcoming talents with her agency, OModels in South Africa.
11. Hakeem Kae- Kazim: Hakeem spent the early part of his life in Lagos, Nigeria before moving to London for training in the Briston Old Vic Theatre School. He went ahead to act in a range of well-known movies like the thrilling Hotel Rwanda, Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.You may also recognize his distinct voice from Call of Duty 3 and Halo 3 video games among others.
12. Biyi Bamidele: John Boyega has also worked with this phenomenal Nigerian talent. Biyi is an internationally acclaimed novelist and film director with several international awards under his belt. You may know him as the director of Half of A Yellow Sun and the Mo Abudu production, Fifty which premiered to rave reviews last year. He spent the first 22 years of his life in Kaduna, Lagos and Ile-Ife before heading to the UK to kickstart his career.
13. Dr. Bernet Omalu: When Hollywood decides to film a movie based on your life, then you know you’ve hit it big. The Nigerian-American physician, forensic pathologist and neuropathologist has gone down in history as the first to publish findings on chronic tramautic encephalopathy, changing the face of sports medicine as we know it. His theory highlighted concussions during gametime as the cause of dementia found in some National Football League players; a theory which faced major uproar from the community. After learning of his story, Will Smith portrayed him in the 2015 bipoic, Concussion.
