Entertainment - Celebrity Gist
Updated: April 07, 2021

Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Funke Akindele Make Forbes Africa's Innovation List

By Sydney Elike
April 07, 2021
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Nollywood heavyweights Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, and Funke Akindele have been listed in the latest issue of Forbes Africa's 100 most influential innovators.

The trio of film veterans joins other African trailblazing stars like Lupita Nyong'o, Idris Elba, and Trevor Noah in the newly-released list released by Forbes.

The Forbes Africa's 100 Most Influential Innovators, Inventors and Icons list recognizes the efforts of influential role models who have "spelt Africa's growth over the past decade."

Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji's recognition on the list is traceable to her landmark directorial debut Lionheart (a movie that achieved the status of being the first Nigerian film to be acquired by Netflix).

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Forbes Africa cited Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde's impressive 2020 feature in the remake of Nneka the Pretty Serpent, calling her one of the biggest actors to emerge from Africa, with more than 200 movies to her name.

Funke Akindele

Also highlighted was Funke Akindele's particularly outstanding 20-year Nollywood career, from her early days in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) sitcom I Need To Know.

Akindele's inclusion on the list is well-deserved considering her 2020 movie Omo Ghetto: The Saga becoming the highest-grossing cinematic film in the history of Nigeria.