While many Nigerian celebrities are best known for their achievements in music, acting and entertainment, some of them also have impressive academic backgrounds from institutions outside the country.
Here are seven Nigerian stars who pursued part of their education abroad:
1. Davido – 33 years old
David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, studied Business Administration at Oakwood University in Alabama, United States. He later returned to Nigeria and enrolled at Babcock University, where he eventually graduated with a degree in Music in 2015.
2. DJ Cuppy – 33 years old
Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, professionally known as DJ Cuppy, combined her growing music career with her studies in the United Kingdom. She earned a degree in Economics from King’s College London and later obtained a master’s degree in African Studies from the University of Oxford.
3. Adesua Etomi – 40 years old
Nollywood actress Tolulope Adesua Etomi-Wellington moved to the UK as a teenager and pursued her passion for the performing arts there. She studied Drama and Performance at the University of Wolverhampton, where she graduated with first-class honours. Sources differ on her birth year, with 1986 and 1988 both reported; she is therefore 38 or 40 depending on the source.
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4. Naira Marley – 35 years old
Azeez Fashola, better known as Naira Marley, moved to Peckham, South London, at the age of 11. He studied Business Law at Crossways College, now known as Christ the King Sixth Form College. Although some reports have described him as a first-class graduate, other accounts say he studied the course without completing it, so the first-class claim should be treated cautiously.
5. Burna Boy – 35 years old
Grammy-winning singer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, known professionally as Burna Boy, continued his education in the UK. He studied Media Technology at the University of Sussex and later attended Oxford Brookes University, where he studied Media Communications and Culture.
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6. Omoni Oboli – 48 years old
Award-winning actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli also pursued further training abroad. After obtaining a degree in French from the University of Benin, she attended the New York Film Academy in the United States, where she undertook training in digital filmmaking and editing.
7. Temi Otedola – 30 years old
Actress and fashion entrepreneur Temiloluwa Elizabeth Otedola studied Art History at University College London (UCL). Her academic background in the arts later complemented her career in fashion and entertainment.
Together, their stories show that academic pursuits and entertainment careers do not necessarily have to exist on opposite sides.
