Entertainment
Unveiling Multiple Award Winning Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor
The multiple award
winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, OBE, was born on 10 July 1977 in London’s Forest Gate to Nigerian Parents of Igbo origin. His father, Arinze was a doctor, and his mother Obiajulu, was a pharmacist. His younger sister is CNN correspondent Zain Asher.
In 1988 when Ejiofor was 11 years during a family trip to Nigeria for a wedding he and his father were driving to Lagos after the celebration when their car was involved in a head –on-crash with a lorry. His father was killed, but Ejiofor survived. He was badly injured and received scars that are still visible on his forehead.
Ejiofor began acting in school plays at the age of thirteen at Dulwhich College and joined the national youth theatre. He later got into the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art but had to leave after his first year, after getting a role in Steven Spiecberg’s film , Amistad as James Covey. He made his film debut in the Television film “Deadly Voyage in 1996. He later became a British actor of film, television and theatre.
Awards
Chiwetel Ejiofor has received numerous awards and nomination for acting including the following:
BAFTA Organge Rising Star Award (2006), Golden Golbe–Award nominations and the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in Othelo in 2008. In the same year he was presented with the award of Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth ll for services to the Arts.
Ejiofor is known for his portrayal of Okwe in “Diary Pretty Things” (2002), the Operative in Serenity 2005, Luke in “Children of Men” (2006), Dr Adrian Helm Sley (2012) and Solomon Northup in 12 years A Slave” (2013) for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor.
In addition, he was nominated for a 2014 primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead Actor in a miniseries or movie for his performance in “Dancing on the Edge”.
In 2014 Ejiofor starred in the Nigerian film “Half of a Yellow Sun”, along side Thandie Newton. The film premiered at the Toronto international film festival. He also plays Patrice Lumumba in a film adaptation of Aime Cesaire’s “ A Season in the Congo”.
It was announced in June 2014 that Ejiofor would play real life drug dealer, Thomas McFadden in film based on the book “Marching Powder”.
A true story friendship cocaine, and South America’s strangest jail, written by McFadden and Australian Journalist Rusty young.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”