National honors for Emeka Rollas Ejezie, Mo Abudu | The Guardian Nigeria News

Two notable Nollywood practitioners, Emeka Rollas Ejezie and Mosunmola Abudu, popularly known as Mo Abudu, are among 437 Nigerians and friends of Nigeria selected to receive national honors from the federal government. They were the only two in the film industry to make the cut.

While Ejezie, actor, producer and president of the Screen Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) will receive national honors at the rank of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), one of Nigeria’s most internationally known media personalities, Management of Human Resources Consultant, entrepreneur and venture capitalist Mo Abudu will be honored in a superior class of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). Their inauguration ceremony was set for October 11, and at that ceremony they would join the unofficial club of Nollywood practitioners who have been honored by the federal government for their invaluable contributions to the growth and development of that non-oil sector of the nation. economy.

Previous honorees include Omotola Jalade Ekeinde (MFR), Patience Ozokwo (MFR), Peace Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR), Zeb Ejiro (OON), Teco Benson (MFR), Kanayo O. Kanayo (MFR), and Stephanie Linus. -Idahosa (MFR). Moviedom salutes Ejezie and Abudu for giving the industry something to cheer about in this diet of national honor award.

Mosunmola Abudu
Hailed as the Amazon of the Nigerian film space, Mosunmola Abudu, popularly known as Mo Abudu, rightly deserves national honor for her efforts in leading her media team, Ebonylife TV and Ebonylife Films, to create a positive narrative about Nigeria and Africa. An entertainment host, media personality, human resource management consultant, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Mo launched EbonyLife TV, the first global African-American lifestyle and entertainment network in 2013, with the primary goal of creating a more positive around Africa.

What followed was a series of inspirational series such as The Governor, about Nigeria’s first female state governor; Desperate Housewives Africa, based on the Disney original series; Sons of the Caliphate, a drama about the rivalry between rich and powerful families in northern Nigeria, and Castle & Castle, Africa’s first premium legal series, among others.

Listed by New African magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2013, Abudu is the production force behind critically acclaimed and blockbuster film productions such as The Wedding Party, Fifty, which was the only Nigerian film selected. to screen at the 59th BFI. London Film Festival in 2015, Royal Hibiscus Hotel, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Oloture and the epic film Elesin Oba (King Horseman), an adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s most performed work, Death and The King Horseman , directed by Biyi Bandele, and screened at the 2022 edition of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

In fact, every movie that Mo Abudu has signed on to executive produce has raised the stakes cinematically and at the box office. In fact, it is widely believed that any film Abudu signs on as an executive producer strikes gold. For example, Fifty, which she executive produced, was Nigeria’s highest-grossing drama and number one film in 2015. Similarly, the sequel to the hit Wedding Party titled The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai, from which was executive producer, it is considered as the highest grossing Nollywood film of all time.

Recipient of different local and international recognitions, Abudu has undoubtedly left her mark through various endeavors in the corporate world. She was described at the time by CNN as “Africa’s media queen who conquered the continent.” Abudu oversees the five divisions of EbonyLife Media, including EbonyLife TV, EbonyLife Films, EbonyLife ON, EbonyLife Studios and EbonyLife Productions Limited (UK) and EbonyLife Place, a luxury entertainment complex that will feature a boutique hotel, gourmet restaurant and luxurious 5- multiplex cinema in the heart of Victoria Island in Lagos.

An alumnus of Ridgeway School, Mid Kent College and West Kent College and the University of Westminster in London, where she earned her master’s degree in human resource development, Abudu was named to the Hollywood Reporter’s list of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Global Television. in 2013 and 2017. Mother of two, a daughter Temidayo and a son Adekoyejo received an Honorary Doctorate (Honouris Causa) from Babcock University, the leading private university in Nigeria. In 2018, the University of Westminster presented Mo with an honorary Doctor of Arts degree, in recognition of her outstanding services to broadcasting and business in Nigeria, among other awards, appointments and accolades.

Emeka Rollas Ejezie
POPULARLY called Emeka Rollas, the actor, film producer, director and managing director of Rolling Pictures Ltd, a film production and artist management company, will be awarded the national honor of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Currently president of the Screen Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ejezie’s nomination may have been informed by the significant achievements he recorded in the last four years he’s been in the saddle as president of AGN. Some of the achievements of the Mass Communication graduate from Oko Federal Polytechnic, Anambra State, include reconciling the warring factions amidst the leadership crisis that plagued the Guild for many years, the introduction of various welfare for members, such as retail HMO, trainings and capacity building. workshops and creation of job opportunities for members. Ejezie also led the AGN to establish a foundation called the AGN Foundation that seeks to serve the needs of veterans and celebrities in the film industry. The foundation also reaches out to the downtrodden in Nigeria as part of the guild’s corporate social responsibility.

Ejezie began acting in 1997 while still at Oko Polytechnic. Her first on-screen appearance of hers was in a movie titled Hilda. She capitalized on Hilda’s success to appear in more than 65 movies, including The Mighty Woman, Last Warning 1 & 2, and Buried Emotions.