There are so many Nigerian celebrities that are born to mothers and fathers of various nationalities. Today, we’ll look at three Nigerian celebrities who are born to Indian mothers.
1. Emezi Yagazie
Yagazie Emezi is a 33-year-old Nigerian professional artist and independent photojournalist located in Lagos.
Born and raised in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, Yagazie attended high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she developed a competitive passion for slam poetry and went on to get a double major in cultural anthropology and African studies. She relocated to Lagos, Nigeria, eight years ago, where she began her professional career as a photojournalist, working for publications such as Al-Jazeera, The New York Times, Vogue, Newsweek, and The Guardian, and The Washington Post.
She has received various individual honors, including Getty Images’ 2018 inaugural Creative Bursary Award, The United States Consulate General Lagos, Nigeria’s 2018 U.S Consulate Grant, and the University of New Mexico’s African Studies Department’s 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award. She made history three years ago when she became the first black African woman to photograph for National Geographic Magazine.
Yagazie’s mother is from India, and her father is from Nigeria.
2. Emezi, Akwaeke
Akwaeke Emezi is a writer, video artist, and non-binary transgender Nigerian.
Akwaeke began her writing career as a short story writer when she was five years old. She was given the 2015 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship after graduating from New York University. She rose to worldwide prominence after her short tale, Who Is Like God, won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa in 2017.
She has now gained acclaim for her other works, including Freshwater, Pet, and The Death of Vivek Oji.
Akwaeke was born on June 6, 1987, in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, to a Nigerian of Igbo origin and an Indian mother.
3. Denrele Edun
Adenrele Oluwafemi Edun, 40, is a Nigerian television host, dancer, and transgender.
Denrele is multiracial; his father is from Nigeria’s Yoruba tribe, while his mother is from India.
Denrele was born in Hamburg, Germany, and migrated to Nigeria when he was five years old. He later earned a degree in English Education from the University of Lagos, Akoka. He began his modeling career while studying at the University of Lagos. He later worked as a television presenter for Sound City before becoming a backup dancer for numerous Nigerian musicians, including LexyDoo, Ruggedman, 2Shotz, Lady Di, and Goldie Harvey.
Denrele, who is known for his unique fashion sense, has won multiple honors over his career, including the Dynamix Award for Best Youth TV Personality, the City People Awards for Most Popular TV Presenter in Nigeria, and the Nigeria Entertainment Awards for Best TV Personality.
