7 Nigerian Returnees Who Are Fast Dominating The Entertainment Industry

While many Nigerians are bent on getting out of the country to live their dreams, others are coming back and making their dreams a reality. Many of the notable names in the Nigerian entertainment industry are actually returnees who came back home to live the Nigerian dream. Here are seven Nigerian celebrities who have come home and made waves.

7. Nonso Amadi

‘Tonight’ singer, Nonso Amadi, came back to Nigeria to give wings to his ambitious music dreams. While he was enrolled in Covenant University for a while, he dropped out and in 2014 to study in the U.K. The Canadian based artiste eventually had to make his return home this year after the success of his ‘Tonight’ single and ‘Alone’ E.P.

6.  Zainab Balogun

Before Zainab Balogun landed herself a lead role in The Royal Hibiscus Hotel or even as a presenter on ‘EL Now’ and ‘The Spot’, Balogun was in the U.K. obtaining her law degree. The London born entertainer featured in a series of projects overseas, including Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, before she came back to her father’s land.

5. MI Abaga

Long before MI was telling rappers to fix up their lives, Jude Abaga was a just another Nigerian student chasing after a career in Business and Economics at Calvin College in the United States. It was when he came back to Nigeria in 2003 that he brought a new dimension to Nigerian rap.

4. Seyi Shay

Born to Nigerian parents in the Tottenham, England, Seyi  has written and produced music for video games as well as foreign artistes. It was after Sound Sultan convinced her to come back to Nigeria in 2011 that she decided to come home and test the waters and she has been doing that successfully.

3. Banky W.

While many people know that Susu’s husband is a returnee, not many know that ‘Mr. Capable’ is actually an American citizen. Although his family moved back to Nigeria when he was five, he returned to the States to study before coming back home to run a label EME,  signing artistes like Niyola, Wizkid and Skales.

2. Adesua Etomi

Although she was not born abroad, Adesua Etomi started living in the United Kingdom since she was thirteen. She came back to Nigeria in 2013 after garnering an impressive educational background which included a first – class degree at the University of Wolverhampton.

1. Tiwa Savage

Mummy Jam Jam relocated to London at the young age of 11. She has worked with artistes such as George Michael, Mary J. Blige, Destiny’s Child, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston and more. When Tiwa finally came back home, she faced a lot of criticism and discouragement. However, she has preserved and now a force to be reckoned with.