Afrobeats icon, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, Grammy Awards winner, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, and singer, Teniola Apata, known as Teni, have been nominated, among others, to receive National awards from Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.
The Awards will be conferred on 437 nominees in celebration of Nigeria’s 62nd Independence. The national honors include the 5 Grand Commanders of the Order of the Niger, GCON, 54 Commanders of the order of the Federal Republic, CFR, 67 Commanders of the Order of the Niger, CON, 64 Officers of the Order of Federal Republic, OFR, 101 Officers of the Order of the Niger, OON, 75 Members of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, 56 Members of the Order of the Niger, MON, and 8 Federal Republic Medals, FRM.
Some entertainers including 2Baba, Shehu Othman, Burna Boy and Teniola Apata, aka Teni the entertainer will be honored with the Member of the Order of Niger, MON, while Burna Boy will be honored with Member of the Order of the Federal Republic.
Burna Boy is one of the 75 shortlisted for the MFR. He became the first afrobeats act to win a Grammy in 2021 when his album ‘Twice As Tall’ won the World Album category. Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu AKA Burna Boy appears at number 53 on the list.
Story: Ene Ken-Yawe