From BAFTA glory to viral moments: Nigeria’s entertainment week in review

It has been an explosive week in Nigerian entertainment, marked by historic international wins, major music milestones, and viral controversies that have kept the nation talking. Nigerian creatives shone brightly at the 79th British Academy Film Awards in London on Sunday, February 22, where Zaria‑born actress Wunmi Mosaku won the Best Supporting Actress award for […]

It has been an explosive week in Nigerian entertainment, marked by historic international wins, major music milestones, and viral controversies that have kept the nation talking. Nigerian creatives shone brightly at the 79th British Academy Film Awards in London on Sunday, February 22, where Zaria‑born actress Wunmi Mosaku won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. Holding her baby bump, Mosaku delivered a moving speech in which she dedicated her win to her roots, saying the recognition was “for the ancestral strength in all of us” and for the immigrant story that often goes unheard.

On the same night, brothers Akinola Davies Jr and Wale Davies made history by winning the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer award for their film My Father’s Shadow, a story set against the backdrop of Nigeria’s annulled 1993 elections. The film had earlier become the first Nigerian production to be officially selected at the Cannes Film Festival.

On the music scene, the collaboration “Jogodo” by Wizkid and Asake continued its remarkable run, spending 40 straight days at the top of the Apple Music Nigeria Top Songs chart as of Wednesday. Asake also emerged as the most‑streamed artist on Spotify Nigeria for the week ending February 24, showing his strong hold on the country’s music audience.

Meanwhile, social media buzz ignited on Thursday after socialite Rahman Jago confirmed that Grammy‑winner Burna Boy has converted to Islam. Although Burna Boy has talked about his spiritual journey in the past, the recent confirmation quickly became one of the week’s most discussed topics online.

In the Nollywood industry, popular actor Ray Emodi surprised fans on Tuesday by announcing his departure from Nollywood to focus fully on music. Also this week, veteran actor Saidi Balogun publicly thanked President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady for their support following a serious accident, saying their intervention helped secure his medical care.

The industry also mourned the loss of comic actor Bamidele Oluwatope, known as Okemesi, who died on Tuesday after a health battle.

The week’s headlines were also driven by viral social media moments. Singer Simi came under intense public scrutiny after old tweets resurfaced, leading the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to say it was reviewing any credible information related to the matter.

Influencers Peller and Carter Efe also drew criticism after a Sunday livestream in which they were seen damaging cars. Billionaire entertainer E‑Money, who had gifted a car to Carter Efe, rebuked the stunt, saying, “I wasn’t happy about you guys destroying the car I gifted Carter Efe in less than 24 hours… You went overboard,” though he later said he forgives the act but urged that it should not happen again.

Actress Eniola Badmus also trended on Thursday after responding directly to critics about her body transformation, fuelling discussions about body positivity and self‑acceptance.