Rising from the bottom to become an influential icon in the Nigeria of today is no small feat, staying single in the a society where it is considered a man's world, where a woman with no man is looked upon like a king with no crown and yet these ladies did make it and are strong influences in today's world among others here is list of 14 most powerful single women in the Nigerian entertainment industry.,,
1. Ibinabo fiberesima
Description: Born to an Okirika father and an Irish mother, Ibinabo lived with her grandmother for the greater part of her childhood and adolescent years. The second child in a family of six, she studied English Language and Literature at the University of Ibadan from where she graduated in 1994. Apparently destined for greatness in showbiz and entertainment, she didn't work with her degree for one day as she got 'The Pyramid' night club as birthday and graduation present from her ex-boyfriend. "I got the night club the month I came out of school, so I just started doing business. I preferred a night club because I am a karaoke freak, I love karaoke, I love to sing."
2. Tonto Dikeh
Description: Tonto Charity Dikeh, also known as Tonto Dike (born 9 June 1985), is a Nigerian actress and singer from Rivers State and is of the Ikwerre tribe. Dikeh, is from a family of seven.
In 2005 she competed against other contestants on a reality TV show called The Next Movie Star; she was the first runner up. Dikeh's appearance on the show was as a means of getting closer to the "big time", she says, and her start in the Nigerian movie industry came soon after.
Dikeh says that after her second movie Holy Cross, more movie directors and producers were willing to cast her, and she has appeared in scores of movies since. Dikeh's role in the movie Dirty Secret has generated controversy amongst Nigerians, because the movie contains nude scenes. While some criticise her role of being untraditional and un-African, others say that Dikeh is merely being professional.
In January 2011 Dikeh took part in a charity fashion show in Lagos with Banky W., Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and others.
Tonto was known in Nollywood as a chain smoker and had started smoking since the age of 14 but she recently testified that she stopped smoking after prayers with Pastor T.B. Joshua via his Christian television station Emmanuel TV.
3. Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi
Description: Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi is a Nigerian broadcaster and presenter, especially known for presenting programmes on radio station Cool FM and on The Beat 99.9 FM, where she currently hosts a show. She won on-air personality of the year at the 2008 Future Awardsand, as part of Nigerian group The Unrulies, was nominated again at the 2009 awards; that year she also co-hosted the Future Awards ceremony with comedian Jedidiah.She is a celebrity model for Soul Mate hair products. She is currently program director for Naija FM 102.7FM, An indigenous radio station .
Born Adegbemisola Moradeke Olateru-Olagbegi on July 18, 1984 in Lagos, Nigeria, Olateru-Olagbegi is the daughter of Yemi (a banker) and Banke (a nurse).[citation needed] She has two younger brothers. She attended Pampers private school, Surulere, and Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo.[citation needed] She also attended Queens college, Yaba to complete secondary school and then Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan for her Bachelors degree in Communication. In 2009, she got her Masters degree in Media and Communication from Pan African University, Lagos, Nigeria.
4. Halima Abubakar
Description: Halima Abubakar (born June 12) is a Nigerian actress.In 2011, she won the Afro Hollywood Best Actress award.Abubakar was born in Kano but is a descent of Kogi. She attended Ideal primary school in Kano then studied Sociology at Bayero University, Kano.She began acting in 2001 when she played a minor role in Rejected. Her first lead role was in Gangster Paradise. She is also the CEO of a Modehouse Entertainment, a music label and entertainment management company.
5. Rita DOminic
Description: Rita Dominic is a member of the Royal Waturuocha family of Aboh Mbaise local government area in Imo State. She is the youngest of 4 siblings.Her late parents were medical practitioners; her father was a medical doctor and her mother a nursing officer.Dominic attended the prestigious Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, before heading to the University of Port Harcourt, where she graduated with a BA (Honours) Degree in Theatre Arts in 1999.
Dominic started performing when she was a child, appearing in school plays and children's television shows in Imo state. In 1998 she starred in her first movie A time to kill. She won the City People Awards in 2004 as the Most Outstanding Actress.She has starred in over 100 Nollywood productions.
6. Ini Edo
Description: Ini Edo is a Nigerian actress. She began her film career in the year 2000, and has featured in more than 200 movies since that time. Edo is a Theatre Arts graduate of the University of Calabar. In 2008 she was married to American-based Nigerian businessman Philip Ehiagwina.In 2013, she was announced as judge for the Miss Black Africa Uk Pageant.Due to her philanthropic gestures, The United Nations appointed her as the United Nations Habitat Youth Envoy.
She is a 2014 Giama nominee for best actress, female's viewers choice and best comedic actact, also nominated for the bon awards, nollywood movies award, future awards, and lots more. Winner of the 2013 Nafca award for best supporting actress (weekend getaway)
7. Waje
Description: Aituaje Iruobe (born September 1), who is mostly known as WAJE which is the acronym for “Words aren’t just enough” is a Nigerian singer whose vocal range covers three octaves. The lady behind the remake of P-Square’s “Omoge Mi” and the female voice in the duo’s 2008 hit track “Do Me”, Banky W "Thief my Kele", M.I "One Naira"
Waje was born in Akure, Ondo State in Nigeria then moved to Benin city, Edo state where she was raised by her parents, Mr & Mrs Iruobe. As a young and gifted singer, she once sang gospel tunes to the delight of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa of the Word of Faith Church, Benin who was quite impressed by her gift and decided to cater for her all through her secondary school days.[1] after which she moved to Nsukka for a degree in social work at University of Nigeria. While in school, Waje was very much with her musical side by making sure she performed in school concerts and fellowship.
WAJE has shared the stage with various international artists,she performed with the phenomenal Wyclef Jean on stage in South Africa,she also opened for Kerry Hilson during a show organised in calabar Nigeria,she has also worked with a lot of artist making good music and smash hit singles One Naira with MI,DO ME (psquare ft waje)and a whole lot more. She also collaborated with Dencia on True Love.
WAJE has a list of songs on air that has also brought her a lot of award nominations and winnings also,she is also currently working on her debut album which is going to be out in 2013 and is titled W.A.J.E (words aren't just enough)WAJE is also currently working with the youths of her community through an organisation she calls WajeSafeHouse, where she teams up with other NGOs quarterly to help fight their cause.
8. Kate Henshaw
Description: Henshaw was born in Cross River State, Nigeria, the oldest of four children. After completing her primary and secondary school in Lagos and Calabar, she spent one year at the University of Calabar reading remedial studies, and then majored in Medical Microbiology at the School of Medical Lab Science, LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) in Lagos. Henshaw worked at the Bauchi State General hospital.
In 1993 Henshaw auditioned for the lead role in the movie When the Sun Sets and was handed the role. This was her first appearance in a major Nollywood movie. Henshaw has starred in over 40 Nollywood movies.
In 2008 she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the film Stronger than Pain.[4] She is presently "The Face of Onga".
Henshaw is a judge on Nigeria's Got Talent.
9. Chika Ike
Description: Chika 'Nancy' Ike (born November 8, 1985) is a leading Nigerian actress, entrepreneur (CEO of Fancy Nancy Collections[1]) and philanthropist. She is a UN Ambassador, Refugee Ambassador for Displaced persons and founder of the Chika Ike (Help A Child) Foundation. Chika ike is the brand Ambassador of Bullet Energy Drink. In regards to education, Chika is a Human Kinetics and Health Education graduate from the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
In 2005, she landed her first roles in the movies Sweetlove and Bless the Child, directed by TChidi Chikere. She is a two-time African Movie Academy Award nominee. In 2006 she was nominated for best upcoming actressand in 2009 she was nominated for best supporting actress.[Chika Ike was Honoured for her Humanitarian Work at the 2013 HOG Awards Icon of Hope.
Chika Ike was on Sunday December 15, 2013, honored with a Nollywood Fashion Icon of the Year award for Fancy Nancy Collections at the Cynosure Magazine Nigeria Fashion Recognition Awards 2013 which was held at Troy Lounge in Victoria Island, Lagos (Nigeria).
10. Agbani Darego
Description: Ibiagbanidokibubo ‘Agbani’ Asenite Darego (born December 22, 1982) is a model, best known as the first black African to be crowned Miss World in 2001.
Darego hails from Abonnema, Rivers, and was born into a family of eight children. At ten, Darego was sent to boarding school in a bid to shield her from her mother who had breast cancer. Darego’s mother died two years later, and her daughter has spoken of how the loss prepared her for the future.
As a teenager, Darego longed to be a model. Although her conservative father was against the idea, she entered the M-Net Face of Africa modelling competition, but failed to make it past the first round. She achieved greater success when she was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 2001. Contrary to popular belief, Darego did not replace Valerie Peterside after the latter was dethroned – Peterside had won Miss Nigeria. Darego managed to divide her time between her official duties with her education at the University of Port Harcourt where she was studying Computer Science, and she represented Nigeria in the 2001 Miss Universe competition, held in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. She placed among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh. She was the only black semi-finalist that year – and the only finalist to wear a maillot swimsuit.]
In November 2001, Darego was crowned Miss World, beating Miss Scotland and Miss Aruba in the final round. Her victory in the pageant was widely welcomed in her home country, and her reign as MBGN was continued by Ann Suinner. Her one year tenure included goodwill trips and scheduled appearances on behalf of the pageant.
Darego left the University of Port Harcourt after her reign as Miss World ended in 2002, and is now studying Psychology at the New York University. She is signed to Next Model Management, and is currently pursuing a modelling career in Europe. In 2002 she was a spokesperson for L’Oréal cosmetics. In 2006, a catwalk model believed to be Darego posed topless at a fashion show], causing outrage in Nigeria. Darego has made no comment. Darego is currently working on a fashion reality show, soon to be aired on Nigerian television
11. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Description: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born September 15, 1977) is a writer whose first two novels won literary awards. She is a native of Abba, in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state. At the age of 19, Adichie left Nigeria and moved to the United States for college. After studying at Drexel University in Philadelphia, she transferred to Eastern Connecticut State University to live closer to her sister, who had a medical practice in Coventry (now in Mansfield, Connecticut). She continued studying communications and political science. She received a university degree from Eastern, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2001.
In 2003, she completed a master’s degree in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In 2008, she received a Master of Arts in African studies at Yale University.[2] Chimamanda is a 2008 MacArthur Fellow.[3]
Adichie had her first novel published in 2003. It received excellent reviews and won a literary award for first books. Her second novel won the 2007 Orange Prize for fiction.
In 2008, Adichie was a Visiting Writer at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where she participated in Wesleyan’s Distinguished Writers Series.
Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, was published in 2003 and won the 2005 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book.Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, named after the flag of the short-lived Biafran nation, is set before and during the Biafran War. It was published by Fourth Estate in the UK and by Knopf/Anchor in 2006. It was awarded the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her third book, a collection of short stories titled The Thing Around Your Neck, was published in April 2009 by Fourth Estate in the UK and Knopf in the US
12. Genevieve Nnaji
Description: Nnaji found mainstream Nollywood success in 1998. Despite her popularity as an actress, she has consistently added accolades, such as singer, producer and fashion designer to her name. In 2004 she became the face of Lux soap in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal. Among other actors and actresses, she released her first album, titled No More, in 2005, following a one year acting ban. Three years later in May, Nnaji launched her clothing line St. Genevieve which was a huge success as the simple, yet elegant easy-wear clothes.
13. Tosyn Bucknor
Description: Tosyn Bucknor is a morning show radio host working at Top Radio 90.9.
Tosyn studied Law at the University of Lagos, and the Nigerian Law School but she had always been attracted to writing, talking, acting, singing and more.
In university, Tosyn famously wanted to quit and start a band but she stayed put and instead joined a band and an entertainment company known as atunda ENT.
After University, Tosyn attended the Nigerian Law School and then served at ACMGS Elelenwo, a secondary school in Port Harcourt where she taught Literature-In-English and English Language.
After that, she came back to Lagos and began blogging, writing, and working in the media and entertainment circles. She also recorded a couple of songs.
She began working at Top Radio 90.9 where she currently handles the morning radio show known as 'Top of the Morning' with a popular segment known as the 'Areaaaa show'
14. Asa
Description: Bukola Elemide, better known as A?a was born in Paris, France to Nigerian parents. She was two years old when her family returned to live in Nigeria. A?a grew up in Lagos, in the south-western part of Nigeria.
She however returned to Paris twenty years later and it was there that her musical career blossomed. She was a student of the Peter King’s School of Music where she learned to play the guitar in 6 months. Bukola sings Yoruba songs differently and these attracted more Yorubas to her music. Her abilities to sing in many languages helped her to reach more audience
Her hits Eye Adaba, Jailer and Be My Man have confirmed her as one of Nigeria’s biggest exports to the music world.