Dual citizenship simply means being a citizen of more that one country, either by birth or other means. In Nigeria, there are many celebrities who are citizens of other countries and it’s worth knowing. It could be by birth, naturalization, parents or marriage. Here is a list of popular Nigerian celebrities who hold dual-citizenship WN thinks you should know.
1. Asa
Bukola Elemide, professionally known as Aṣa is a Nigerian-French singer, songwriter, and recording artist. She is known for her Pop music and Indie pop genre which she does in Yoruba, french and English. She is rated as one of the top singers in the country today. She is French-Nigerian.
Asa was born 17 September 1982 in Paris to Nigerian parents who were working and studying cinematography in France. Her family returned to live in Nigeria when she was two years old. Her parents hail from Itoku, Ogun State, Nigeria but Aṣa grew up in Lagos.
18 years later, Asa returned to Paris, where her life as an artist took off.
Asa’s music influences grew over the years from the collection of great music her father had built up for his work as a cinematographer.
2. Dorcas Shola-Fapson
Born 4th January 1991 in North London, United Kingdom Dorcas Shola Fapson is a Nigerian actress and TV presenter, known for her role in MTV’s Shuga as ‘Sophie’.
In 2020, she returned to the MTV Shuga series as it dealt with coronavirus issues, with the actors doing the filming, over several African countries. Fapson who is British-Nigerian lived for many years abroad before relocating. She took her first degree in Criminology England. She then went on to study acting in New York. Fapson has starred in other top movies and series like Banana Island Ghost, My wife and I, The Essence, Hustle, Castle and Castle and so on.
3. Lilian Bach
Popular Nigerian actress, Lilian Bola Bach is a Nigerian actress and model, although she doesn’t do a lot of movies these days, she try’s to stay relevant as a veteran. She was one of the few actors back in the day who prospered in both English and Yoruba genres as seen in movies she featured.
The delectable actress was born in Lagos Island to a Yoruba mother and a Polish father. She is Polish-Nigerian.
As a result of her father’s profession, she lived in various parts of the country during her formative years, attending Army Children’s school, Port Harcourt and Idi Araba Secondary School, Lagos. She briefly majored in Theatre Arts at the University of Lagos.
4. Shan George
Shan George is a Nollywood actress, singer, film producer and director. Prior to debuting in the movie Thorns of Rose, she had previously featured in a 1997 soap opera titled Winds of Destiny. She was born 21st April 1970 in Ediba, Cross River state to a Nigerian mum and a British dad. Controversial for having issues with her “love life”, her first marriage was when she was 16. Shan George had her degree in University of Lagos where she studied Mass Communication and went on to produce her debut movie titled All For Winnie during her final year.
In 2010, Shan released her debut studio album titled Dance which got positive reviews from music critics. She presently has two children after being involved in several broken marriages.
5. Uche Jombo
Uche Jombo is a Nigerian actress, screenwriter and film producer who has dual citizenship by her marriage to Kenny Rodriquez, as well as been born in Nigeria. She got married to a Puerto Rican-American, Kenny Rodriquez in 2012. She is Nigerian-Puerto Rican, although the union allegedly crashed some years ago after producing a son.
Uche Jombo was born on December 28, 1979 in Abia State, Nigeria. She is a graduate of Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Calabar and Computer Programming from the Federal University of Technology Minna.
6. Yomi Gold
Yomi Gold Alore was born on April 16th, 1980, in Kwara state. He is a popular Nigerian businessman and top Yoruba movie actor who has come a long way to building a name for himself.
In 2018, Yomi shared that he has been granted US citizenship. He is now Nigerian-American.
7. Davido
Having Davido on this list shouldn’t be surprising as it was revealed many years back as an OBO that he is a citizen of the United States by birth. He was born David Adedeji Adeleke on November 21, 1992 in Atlanta Georgia, United States.
He attended the British International School in Lagos and moved back to the US to study Business Administration at Oakwood University in Alabama.
Davido dropped out of Oakwood University to pursue music full-time and relocated to London where he worked on his vocals. After his return to Nigeria in 2011, the DMW boss suspended his musical career and agreed to honour his father by enrolling at Babcock University. In July 2015, he graduated from Babcock with a degree in music after his father paid the university to start a music department for an inaugural class of one student.
8. Naira Marley
Azeez Adeshina Fashola aka Naira Marley was born on May 10, 1991. Many people don’t know he is a British citizen by naturalization. He is known as the president of his controversial fan base, “Marlians”
Naira Marley moved to Peckham, South London, England at 11. He graduated with a distinction in Business from Peckham Academy. He also studied business law at Crossways College (now Christ the King Sixth Form College). He is popular for many of his controversial songs like Am I a Yahoo Boy, Tesumole, Mafo, Opotoyi, ChiChi, Aye, First time in America and so on.
9. Banky W
Olubankole Wellington aka Banky W was born on March 27, 1981 in New York, United States, becoming a citizen of the United States by birth.
His family moved back to Nigeria when he was five and he started singing at a young age in his church choir.
Banky W schooled in Lagos for his primary and secondary education and returned to further his tertiary education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York on a scholarship. He is a renowned and award-winning singer cum actor.
10. Nengi Adoki
Nengi Elizabeth Adoki is a famous Nigerian-Toronto actress, director, singer and songwriter known for known for Juju Stories, The Men’s Club (2018) and Lost Girl (2010). Nengi was born in Port Harcourt on January 17th, 1990 in her home of originality. Nengi started growing in her theatrical and vocal abilities soon after completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Performing Arts & Information Technology at the University of Toronto (2013). She went on to complete a certificate degree in Performing Arts preparation at Sheridan College (2014) where she graduated with honours. She completed her NYSC in 2017.
11. Seyi Shay
Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua, professionally known as Seyi Shay is an Afropop singer and actress. Born on December 21, 1985 in Tottenham, London, United Kingdom. She is a citizen of UK by birth.
She started visiting Nigeria when she was two and eventually attended the Command High School in Maryland, Lagos.
Seyi Shay went back to London to complete her undergraduate studies where she also attended and graduated from the University of East London, with a BA Hons in Music business management. In 2018, she played the lead role of Lara, in a popular movie, Lara and the Beat. She has singles, albums and EPs to her credit.
12. Zack Orji
The veteran actor was born in Libreville, Gabon in 1960 making him a Gabonese by birth.
Orji is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Having grown up in Cameroon, Benin and Togo he speaks English and French fluently. His first movie was in 1991 titled Unforgiven Sin. Zack Orji was ordained as a Reverend Minister in 2012 and after his ordination as a man of God, he has been lost in action in recent movies. He has devoted his life to the work of God
13. Jim Iyke
Jim Iyke was born September 25, 1976 in Libreville, Gabon. He is also a Gabonese by birth like Zark Orji. He completed his secondary school education in F. G. C. Kwali Abuja from 1985 to 1991.
The movie star attended the University of Jos, Plateau State where he got a Diploma in Banking and Finance and then went on to acquire a BSc in Philosophy.
His acting career officially began in 2001, and since then he has played prominent and secondary roles in more than 150 movies.
14. Oge Okoye
The actress was born in November 16, 1980 in London, United Kingdom. Okoye is a UK citizen by birth. She didn’t complete her elementary education in London before moving to Nigeria and upon her return, she attended the University Primary School Enugu and moved on to the Holy Rosary College, Enugu for her secondary school.
Oge Okoye graduated from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka with a degree in Theatre Arts.
The movie star joined Nollywood in 2001. And in 2002, she came to the limelight after performing in the film, Spanner where she starred alongside Chinedu Ikedieze popularly known as ‘Aki’.
15. Regina Askia-Williams
The US-based nurse was born on December 16, 1967 in Lagos. Askia-Williams’s acting break came in 1993 when she played gold-digger Tokunbo Johnson in Nigerian soap, Fortunes (later Mega Fortunes) on NTA Network; a role which earned her critical acclaim and roles in Nollywood movies.
A graduate of the University of Lagos with a degree in Biology, she later became a registered nurse, after earning her nurse practitioner degree at Wagner College in the United States.
The ex-beauty queen, who is married to American Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Williams and has been in the United States for 20 years, took to Facebook in July, 2017 to announce that she had become a green card holder after delaying it for many years.
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