Nollywood actress, Omotola Jolaade-Ekeinde, has made the list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The TIME Magazine, in its 2013 edition
of TIME 100, released on Thursday, which encompasses world leaders,
pioneers, artistes and other titanic figures, listed Omotola on its
Icon List.
It includes the likes of United States
First Lady, Michelle Obama; Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton;
Myanmar opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi; 15-year-old Pakistani
activist shot by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai; and Beyonce.
Explaining how Omotola made the list,
TIME’s movie critic, Richard Corliss, on the TIME’s website, described
her as “the Queen of Nollywood.”
“Called OmoSexy by her fans, she has
made 300 or so features, from the 1996 Mortal Inheritance to the 2010
super production Ijé, shot partly on location in Los Angeles. She
brings a juggler’s grace to her roles as actress, singer, reality-show
star.
“Success hasn’t spoilt Africa’s most
renowned leading lady. Rather than going Hollywood, Omotola wants to
stay Nollywood,” he notes.
Omotola, who is married to an airline
pilot, whom she wed on a flight from Lagos to Benin, was also
recognised for her initiative in starting an empowerment scheme known as
“Omotola Youth Empowerment Programme.”
Others on the Leaders’ list include Pope
Francis, United States President Barack Obama; US Vice-President Joe
Biden; 30-year-old North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un; Malawi’s first and
Africa’s second female President, Joyce Banda.
Writing a review on the rationale behind
the listing of Banda, Liberian President Helen Johnson Sirleaf says, “
She is committed to using her position to improve the lives of women
across the continent, not just in Malawi. She has great strength. I am
delighted that I’m not alone in Africa anymore.”
Source : Punch
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