Left-handed people suffer stigmatization daily, from traditional people who believe giving and receiving anything with your left hand is uncultured, to tools like keyboard mouses and golf clubs designed with right-handed use in mind.
Left Handers Day is celebrated annually on the 13th of August. In the same vein of celebration, let’s look at some celebrities in the Nigerian media who are left-handed.
Popularly known as Jenifa from her very successful television comedy series of the same name, which she created from the ground up, Akindele came to the limelight after starring in the UNFPA sponsored sitcom I Need to Know, which ran from the late 90s to the early 2000s
Funke has a very long list of awards and at least 15 “Best Actress” awards, the most recent of which are Best Actress in a Comedy Movie or TV Series at the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, and Best Lead Actress at the 2017 Nigeria Entertainment Award.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
The British based Nigerian actor’s most popular work to date is 12 Years a Slave, which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for. He also starred in Dirty Pretty Things, Half of a Yellow Sun, Doctor Strange and is starring in Lion King and Maleficent II, billed to be released in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Ejiofor holds the title of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts.
Elliot is a Nollywood actor and honourable member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, with over two hundred films, a number of TV shows and a handful of soap operas to his credit.
Segun Arinze
The veteran Nollywood actor and businessman is currently passing his knowledge of acting on to the next generation working with the African international film festival.
Susu, as she is fondly called, has been acting since she was 7. Her feature film debut was Knocking On Heaven’s Door in 2014. She has also starred prominently in Ayamma, The Arbitration, Falling, and The Wedding Party.
She is married to singer/songwriter and entertainment entrepreneur, Banky Wellington, and was recently added to the University of Wolverhampton’s Wall of Fame.
Tolu Oniru-Demuren
Popularly known as Toolz, Orinu-Demuren is a popular media personality, and host of The Midday Show on The Beat 99.9 FM. She is also the host of reality TV show, X-Factor West Africa, and of The Juice; a talk show that has had popular personalities, including late Nelson Mandela as guests. Her impressive resume includes working with MTV Europe and Walt Disney Pictures.
The actor, model and musician came into prominence after winning the Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO) reality show. He also featured inHalf of a Yellow Sun along with Ejiofor, as well as Two Brides and a Baby, The Rubicon, Before 30 and TV series, Gidi Up.
His list of awards includes the Africa Movie Academy Awards, Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Nollywood Movies Awards, Best of Nollywood Awards, Nigeria Entertainment Awards and Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards.
Teco Benson
The popular movie director was nominated for Best Director at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2006 and 2008, and won Director of the Year at 2011 Best of Nollywood Awards. Benson is also a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic.
Emeka Ike
The Nollywood actor was the darling of Nollywood movie lovers in the early 2000s. Ike acted in a number of romance movies, alongside Genevieve Nnaji. He recently founded the Nollywood TV channel, featuring on Startimes TV and on TSTV.