Nigeria is famous as one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. It has over 200 million people who speak over 500 languages. It is also home to some of the most famous people from Africa. Some of the most famous people from Nigeria include award winning musicians Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, Davido, Fela Kuti, WizKid, and Tiwa Savage.
Nollywood is the world’s second-largest film industry, and it has produced many famous actors and actresses. These include the comedic duo Osita Iheme and Chinedu Ikedieze, Mercy Johnson Okojie, Chike Daniels, Ruth Kadiri, and Maurice Sam. Together, the leading Nigerian actors have produced thousands of movies, and are continuously influencing African pop culture.
Famous Nigerian celebrities and personalities
48 years old
Nigerian actress and businesswoman whose films include Nigerian crime thriller The Herd (2025), Beast of Two Worlds (2024)
47 years old
46 years old
Nigerian actress who has starred in over 200 Nollywood movies & winner of Africa Movie Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005
83 years old
54 years old
48 years old
42 years old
Nigerian retired footballer who played as a striker for Nigeria and in La Liga clubs such as Getafe, Villarreal, Málaga
89 years old
President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007
35 years old
Nigerian footballer who has played for Chelsea, Spartak Moscow and Luton Town
55 years old
Nigerian actor and director known as Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2010 in The Figurine
Famous people from Nigeria
The North-western country is also home to award winning authors who include emerging voices in literature Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Purple Hibiscus) and Ayobami Adebayo (Stay With Me).
Legendary authors Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart), Wole Soyinka (The Lion and the Jewel) and Elechi Amadi who wrote The Concubine were also born in Nigeria.
Africa’s most populous country has also produced talented and globally reknowned sportspeople who include footballers Victor Osimhen and John Obi Mikel. Other famous Nigerians are the continent’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, Catholic cardinal Francis Arinze, and former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
