Saturday, November 10, 2007

Dazzling Diamonds
By Chris Ajaero Monday, July 09, 2007
Many Nigerian youths are shining example of success in their careers
In 1985, Nigeria ruled the world in youth football when the Golden Eaglets won the maiden edition of the Under-17 World Youth Championship in China. It was indeed a glorious moment for the nation as the young Nigerian soccer stars shrugged off the challenge from footballing nations like Brazil and Germany to conquer the world.
It was a clear signal to the world that Nigeria is blessed with young people with the potential to make a positive difference in soccer. Today many young Nigerians are excelling not only in football but various other fields such as academics, science, music, and theatre. In football, young Nigerian soccer stars are making a lot of impact in the UEFA Champions League thereby creating a positive image for the country. Some of the young Nigerian professional footballers who have made the country proud with their great exploits in Europe are Kanu Nwankwo, the gifted soccer idol who captained the Dream Team that won the Olympic soccer gold in Atlanta 1996, Obafemi Martins, the Newcastle goal king, John Mikel Obi, the midfield maestro, Mercy Akide, Falcon's top striker and Cynthia Uwak, the reigning African soccer queen.
Kanu who plays as a striker for the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles and for English club, Portsmouth is the most decorated African Footballer in footballing history. With more than 10 awards to boast of, including a UEFA champions League medal, a UEFA cup medal and two African Player of the Year Awards, the lanky striker is a source of inspiration to millions of Nigerian youths.
Between Arsenals's Double win in 2002, and Chelsea's FA cup win in 2007, he is the only current Premiership player to have won the UEFA, Premiership and FA cups. One of Kanu's most outstanding performances was in 1996 when he captained the Nigerian team that won gold at the Olympics, famously scoring two late goals in the semi-finals against Brazil to overturn a 2-3 score line into a 4-3 win in extra time.
Although he is better-known as a soccer star, Kanu is best idolised by all for his philanthropic gestures. After undergoing a successful heart surgery in 1998, Kanu established the Kanu Heart Foundation, KHF, a non-governmental organisation which has sponsored many Nigerian children to England and Israel for heart surgery. The young man with a heart for children was recently re-appointed the United Nations Children Education Fund, UNICEF, Goodwill Ambassador for the next two years.
Martins, the 22-year-old Nigerian striker is known for his exceptional pace, powerful shots and acrobatic goal celebrations. He has carved a niche for himself as one of the most valuable strikers sought after by leading football clubs in Europe. Martins started his international soccer career in 2000 with the AC Reggiana youth team and in 2003 he joined Inter Milan where he made his mark with the club in the UEFA Champions League, scoring crucial goals. Presently, he is one of the top strikers in Newcastle. Nigerian soccer fans who admire Martins' ability to score vital goals fondly call him Obagoal. So far, he has scored 11 goals in his 14 appearances for Nigeria. Twice, he has been voted the Confederation of African Football Youth Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004 in confirmation of his soccer artistry.
Mikel Obi, the 20-year-old Nigerian central mid-fielder gained global recognition in 2005 when the starred for Nigeria at the FIFA Under-20 World Youth Championship where the Flying Eagles lost to a Argentina 2-1 in the final of the soccer fiesta. Before then, he also proved his mettle as rising soccer star in the 2003 FIFA Under-17 world championships held in Finland.
Obi made his debut for the Super Eagles on August 17, 2005 and has earned six international caps. He won the silver ball in the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Youth Championships and was voted African Football Youth Player of the year in 2006. He was also part of the Chelsea team that won the FA cup and English league cup, this year.
In female football, Mercy Akide and Cynthia Uwak have become international soccer stars. Akide, the gangling striker who scores goals with finesse was the first African Women's Footballer of the year in 2002 and was in 1999 and 2004 FIFA World All-Star team. She has played for Nigeria in the last three FIFA Women's World Cup and also helped the Super Falcons to win three African Women Championship, AWC titles in 1998, 2000 and 2002. In 2005, she was named by FIFA as one of its 15 Ambassadors for Women Football. Akide has exceptional skills hence she had a fulfilling international career and today she is the head coach for Stars U-16 Athena C Gold Girls.
Like Akide, Uwak, the 20-year-old top striker of the Falcons is a fantastic player. One of the factors in Uwak's favour is that she is one of the eight Nigerian international female soccer stars playing overseas, amassing valuable experience in the strong Finnish League. Last October, she was nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award. Twice, she has won the African Women's Footballer of the year in 2005 and 2006.
Nigerian youths are also making their mark in music. One of Nigeria's rising music stars is Innocent Idibia popularly called Tu Face. Indeed, he is one young Nigerian musician who has become a phenomenon. Face 2 Face, his first album sold a million copies. African Queen, one of the popular tracks in the album which was inspired by his desire to celebrate and appreciate the African Woman has won many awards for Tu Face.
In 2005, he emerged as the Best African Artiste at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Before then, he had represented Nigeria at the Kora Music Awards in South Africa and won two awards at the Channel O Music Awards. And only last month, his African Queen hit track won the best song of the decade at the Nigerian Music Awards, NMA, held in Abuja. Tu Face is today one of the hottest musical talents in Africa's most populous nation.
Emem Abasi Ema, former member of the musical group, Kush whose hit song, Let's Live Together brought them into the limelight is another young Nigerian who is set to rule the music world. She recently emerged as the first Nigerian to win the British Council International Young Music Entrepreneur, IYMEY Award. The feat has transformed the Akwa Ibom State-born Ema into a music ambassador for Nigeria. Although she studied Law at the University of Lagos, she is today the executive director of One Integrated Management Services, a consultancy outfit that assists creative artists to realise their goals.
Cobhams Asuquo, a blind singer has proved that there is ability in disability. A singer and producer, Asuquo produced songs for artistes like Mode 9, Asa, and Silver Saddish among others. Cry, the song and musical video he produced for Mode 9 won the Channel O rap video of the year in South Africa, last year. At the 2007 Hip Hop World Awards, Asuquo won the producer of the Year. He also repeated this feat at the recent Nigerian Music Awards, NMA, where he emerged the Producer of the Decade.
In London, Lemar Obike, a Nigerian-born soul singer is also making a lot of impact. Lemar became famous a few years ago when he reached the final of the BBC talent show "Fame Academy." Since then, he has won many other awards in music. In 2004, he won the Best Urban Act at the UK's Digital Music Award Ceremony, as well as the British Urban Act in 2006. In 2005, he was named the Best Hip-Hop Act, Best Album and the United Kingdom Act of the year in the Music of Black Origin, MOBO Awards.
Benita Okojie, the young girl who came to the limelight in the Nigerian music scene in the 1990s with her popular album titled Child of God is also a bundle of talent. During the 8th All African Games held in Abuja, she sang the theme song for the games.
Peter and Paul Okoye, the twin Hip-Hop stars popularly known as P.Square have also taken the Nigerian musical scene by storm.
The duo from Anambra State are currently students of the University of Abuja. Their hit tracks, Get Squared and Bizzy Body have won them several awards, including the Album and Music Video awards at the Nigerian music awards for 2006. In addition, the duo were nominated as the Best African Acts on the MTV Europe Music Awards 2006.
Young Nigerians are also excelling in dancing. Kafayat Shafau led a group of young Nigerians to win the world's longest dance party record, after dancing for 53 hours, 50 minutes at the Silverbird and Nokia N91 Danceathon, which held in Lagos between Friday, 29 September and Monday, 2 October.
This gesture earned Shafau a slot in the Guinness Book of record as the last person standing at the longest dance party in the world shattering the record which stood at 52 hours and 3 minutes set by the Heart Health Hop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in the United States of America.
In theatre, Nigerian youths are equally proving their worth. Taking advantage of the popularity of the Nigerian home video industry, many of the talented actors and actresses have made a lot of difference in Nollywood. Genevieve Nnaji, is no doubt Nollywood's dazzling diamond. Nnaji has acted major roles in nearly 200 home videos. Her earnings from a home movie is reportedly in six digits. She has become not just a star, but a superstar. She has been hailed as Nigerian Halle Berry and Africa's Janet Jackson because of the recent musical album she released titled Hot Stuff.
Adewale Akinwoye-Agbaje, a Nigerian based in the United States is one of the hottest black movie stars in God's Own Country. Today, he is the only actor in the Hollywood circuit from Nigeria. One of the movies he acted as a Hollywood star actor is Unstoppable which was produced in 2004,
Two young Nigerian actors who have become very popular among home video movie lovers are the diminutive Chinedu Ikedieze, a.k.a Aki and Osita Iheme a.k.a Paw Paw. While Iheme, 21, is a student of the University of Lagos, Ikedieze, 29, is a graduate of mass communication from the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu. The film that brought them to the limelight was titled Aki 'n Ukwa. Owing to the humour which they bring to bear in their acting, they have become respected and admired nationally and internationally.
In the area of modelling, the Nigerian youths are excelling too. Agbani Darego, winner of Miss World title in 2001 and Oluchi Onweagba who won a South African television network's Face of Africa Beauty contest are Nigeria's ambassador in modelling. After Darego's reign as the Miss World, she has devoted her attention to a modelling career in Europe.
Like Darego, Onweagba has used her exotic good looks to carve a positive image for Nigeria. She has appeared in several well-known fashion magazines and has graced the pages of Sports Illustrated, Swimsuit Edition for two years running. She has made a lot of impact modelling in New York where she is currently living.
While these young Nigerian ladies have become respected globally in modelling, many young men have embraced comedy. Julius Agwu fondly called D' Genius has distinguished himself in his own brand of comedy which he calls musicomedy. His brand of comedy is infectious and he stands out as a humour merchant. He has performed for presidents, state governors and for major blue chip companies in Nigeria.
Like Agwu, Bright Okpocha a.k.a. Basket Mouth is also a popular stand-up comedian. The Abia State-born comedian who has made dreadlock his signature style is a Sociology graduate of the University of Benin. He is reputed for his popular programme Basket Mouth Unsensored during which he entertains his fans with rib-cracking jokes.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, Oluwasegun Abiodun Ogundipe, 24, a graduate of Theatre arts from the University of Ibadan is an up-coming comedian and toast to many shows and parties on campuses. Popularly known as Laff-up, Ogundipe sings, dances and acts. Having trod the Ibadan comedy scene like a colossus, he is now making a foray into Lagos and he has a solo work coming out soon.
In academics, especially the literary world some young Nigerians have made the nation proud. One of the most outstanding Nigerian young literary jewels is Chimamanda Adichie, who recently won the 2007 Orange Broadbond Prize for Fiction. She won £30,000 with her latest novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, which focused on the Nigerian civil war. A few years ago, her first novel Purple Hibiscus won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for debut fiction. The young lady is gradually taking the footsteps of Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate and Chinua Achebe who are literary icons.
Helen Oyeyemi, Nigerian-born novelist is also making the nation proud. She wrote her first novel, The Icarus Girl in seven weeks. Bloomsbury, the publishing house which produced the book was so impressed by her works that they reportedly offered her a two-book deal worth £400,000 pounds. The Icarus Girl was nominated for the 2006 British Book Decibel writer of the year Award.
In science, Stella Onyinyechi Felix, a student of Moremi High School, Ile-Ife was lifted from obscurity to global attention as she was one of the youngest scientists who went into space between October 4 and 10, 2006, at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. She was chosen for this feat because of her academic excellence, especially in science and mathematics.
Certainly, with the increasing number of young Nigerians who have excelled in various fields, the future is very bright for the most populous nation in the African continent. Gabriel Osu, a monsignor and director of communications in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos told Newswatch that the Nigerian youths are talented. "Like in other parts of the world, the youths are the bedrock of the society. They often excel in what they do if given the right support," he said.
Additional reports by Modupe Ogunbayo, Anthony Akaeze, Sebastine Obasi, Rachel Ogbu and Tunji Ola

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