2face Idibia: Biography, Career, Family, Net Worth And More

Innocent Ujah Idibia popularly known as 2face or 2baba is an active and one of Nigeria’s successful Afro pop artistes.

Early Life And Education.

2Baba was born on 18 September 1975 at Jos, Plateau, Nigeria. He is from the Idoma ethnic group that inhabited the Southern area of Benue State in central Nigeria.

He had his primary education at Mount Saint Gabriel’s Secondary School in Makurdi, Benue State.

His father Michael Agbo Idibia, died on the 23rd of August 2014 and was buried in their hometown, Amufu Ejeba, Enumoga Ehaje, Okpokwu LGA of Benue State.

Mr Michael Idibia died in an unnamed hospital in Abuja after battling with cancer. The deceased had been battling prostate cancer for over years.

His mother is Rose Idibia.

After he finished high school, he enrolled for a diploma course at the Institute of Management & Technology (IMT) to study business administration and management.

Music Career

In 1996, while he was in IMT, 2Baba began writing jingles at GB Fanclub at the Enugu Broadcasting Services (ESBS). It was after the performance, he adopted his stage name “2face”. He still did not give up while he was in school, he performed at various shows and parties organized by people In school and within the state.

Plantashun Boiz

Eventually, he dropped out of school to pursue a career in music. He left Enugu for Lagos, where he met Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo popularly known as Blackface and Chibuzor Orji popularly known as Faze.

The trio named their band Plantashun Boiz and released two successful albums: Body and Soul (2000) and Sold Out (2003).

Solo Career

In 2004, the band broke up, and each musician went to start a solo career.

It was a perfect opportunity for 2Face to show all his talents as a solo artiste. He released several albums such as: Face 2 Face (2004) Grass 2 Grace (2006).

His second album, Grass 2 Grace had jams like One Love, True Love, 4 Instance.

2Baba is also the founder of Hypertek Entertainment. In 2006, his song, African Queen , was used in the soundtrack for the film Phat Girlz, which was gained global recognition.

However, in 2007, all the members of the band reunited and released their third album Plan B.

2Baba released an experimental album in 2009 called The Unstoppable  which had the single, Enter the Place.

Problems with album distribution in 2007 caused a shift of the release date of the album from 2008 to early 2009.

In 2010, 2Baba released an international edition of the same album with the title The Unstoppable International Edition,  making him the first Nigerian artist to have an appropriately priced international album.

Albums

• Face 2 Face – 2004
• Grass 2 Grace – 2006
• The Unstoppable – 2009
• The Unstoppable International Edition – 2010
• Away and Beyond – 2012
• The Ascension – 2014
• Warriors – 2020

Awards and Honours

2Baba has received the following:

• One MTV Europe Music Award
• One World Music Award
• Five Headies Awards (Hip-hop award)
• Four Channel O Music Video Awards
• One BET Award for his musical work
• Four MTV Africa Music Awards
• One MOBO Award
• One KORA Award
• Three Afrima Awards, and numerous additional nominations.

In May 2016, 2Baba received an honorary Master of Arts in Music degree from Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Nigeria.

In March 2019, he was awarded an honorary fellow of the school of music by the Music Department, Obafemi Awolowo University.

This made him the pioneer recipient of the award which was presented to him at the first public lecture and fellowship award, held on 20 March 2019.

In August 2019, 2Baba was appointed as the Good cause Ambassador for the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

In July 2020, he was appointed as a regional Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Family

2Baba is married to popular Nigerian actress, Annie Macaulay. The ceremony took place in Lagos, Nigeria. The couple also had a traditional wedding ceremony. It took place on March 8, 2013, in the city of Eket in Akwa-Ibom State. Their third wedding was held in Dubai on March 23, 2013.

On August 17, 2015, Annie Macaulay opened a beauty salon: BeOlive Hair Studio in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

They have two girls; Olivia Idibia and Isabella Idibia.

2Baba Idibia’s Baby Mamas

• Sumbo Ajaba- Adeoye
Sumbo Ajaba had two boys for 2Face Idibia namely Zion and Nino. They met while she was attending Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) as an undergraduate. Sumbo Ajaba became pregnant when they were dating but she allegedly pinned the baby on another man and they got married. The marriage crashed after she gave birth and the child was a replica of 2Face Idibia.

Sumbo Ajaba-Adeoye and family

After the crashing of her first marriage, Sumbo Ajaba went back to 2Face Idibia’s house and they began living together. Then, she gave birth to another son for him. Their relationship ended around 2009 after news came out that 2Face Idibia has impregnated other women. While 2Face was out of the country, Sumbo packed her belongings and moved out of the house with her two children.

Sumbo Ajaba is now happily married to Pastor David Adeoye of Royalty Christian Centre, located in Agege, Lagos.

Following her marriage to Pastor Adeoye, Sumbo Ajaba is now been addressed as Mrs Adesumbo Adeoye. The marriage is blessed with two children, a boy and a girl. She had them within 22 months after waiting for five years.

•  Pero Adeniyi

Pero Adeniyi is the daughter of Chief Jide Adeniyi, a billionaire businessman and chairman of Poatson Group of Companies. Chief Jide Adeniyi is credited as the first man to start a musical jamboree business in Nigeria.

Pero Adeniyi and 2Face have three children together – a daughter named Ehibenzy Rose Idibia (born in 2006) and two sons named Innocent (born in 2012) and Justin Idibia (born in 2013).

The makeup mogul and socialite, Pero Adeniyi was reportedly married when she met 2Face Idibia. She allegedly abandoned her husband, Tunde Borokinni, a New York-based businessman, to become 2Face’s lover.

Pero Adeniyi

The affair resulted in three children.

2face Idibia and Pero Adeniyi’s children

2Face Idibia’s relationship with Pero Adeniyi was a tumultuous one, and it was mostly because of 2Face’s involvement with other women. She finally left him and travelled abroad shortly after 2Face proposed to Annie in 2012.

Pero Adeniyi and Annie had a strained relationship that lasted for years. They finally reconciled in 2018 at an event held at Crescendo Lounge, Ikeja.

• Annie Idibia

Annie Macaulay-Idibia’s involvement with 2Face first came to public notice after he featured her in the music video of his 2004 hit song, “African Queen” alongside Yvonne Jegede.

However, Annie and 2Face had known each other for far longer.  Annie was reported to have been in 2Face Idibia’s life from way back before he became popular. Annie Macaulay started a romantic affair with the singer and in December 2008, she bore him a daughter named Isabella Idibia.

Annie Idibia and children

A few years later, on the Valentine Day of 2012, 2Face Idibia proposed to Annie at the now-defunct Club 10 owned by retired footballer, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha. They got married the following year (2013). On January 3, 2014, Annie Idibia gave birth to her second daughter with 2face named Olivia Idibia.

2Baba’s Philanthropy

In 2009, 2face was signed as an ambassador by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC).

That was when he released a song “Man Unkind” in other for him to raise awareness of sub-standard food and drug products in Nigeria.

He later established an NGO called “2baba Foundation” this foundation is centered around nation building and peaceful co-existence.

FORTYfied All-Star Tribute Concert

This was an all-star tribute concert organised by 2Baba to celebrate his 40th birthday and influence in the Nigerian Music Industry.

2Baba’s Fortyfied concert

The concert was hosted by a popular comedian Bright Okpocha better known as BasketMouth, and it was attended by dignitaries as it featured performances from notable musicians including D’banj, Wizkid, Timaya, BurnaBoy, late SoundSultan, Wande coal and Seyi shay.

Farming Business

In 2020, 2Baba unveiled his agro-allied business Innobia Cooperatives Organisation (Innobia Allied Ltd).

2face shows off massive farmland in Benue

The business is headquartered in Nigeria and  it has branches in Israel and the United Kingdom.

2Baba said that the initiative was born out of the desire to key into the government policy of diversification of the economy through agriculture and its ancillary businesses.

“We want to create jobs for our youths and empower our women in order to break the chain of poverty and contribute meaningfully to the economy. Our target is to empower a minimum of 1,000 youths in each of the 36 States and the FCT by the year 2021,” he declared.

Net Worth

2face idibia is among the richest Nigerian musicians with an estimated net worth of $22.2 million dollars as of 2021.

Forbes listed him as one of the 40 most powerful celebrities in Africa, so far he had sold out over 3million albums.