Skip to content

Profile

In-depth profiles of the entertainers, entrepreneurs, creatives and personalities making headlines — who they are and how they got here.

A refugee from Wau became an NBA All-Star, then took South Sudan to the Olympics: Luol Deng Celebrity Buzz A refugee from Wau became an NBA All-Star, then took South Sudan to the Olympics: Luol Deng Luol Deng was born in Wau, in what is now South Sudan, and fled war with his family to Egypt and then London. He became a two-time NBA All-Star with the Chicago Bulls. As president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation, he helped the national team reach the 2024 Paris Olympics. He started trading with a loan from his uncle. Aliko Dangote became Africa’s richest man Celebrity Buzz He started trading with a loan from his uncle. Aliko Dangote became Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, born in Kano in 1957, began trading commodities with a loan from his uncle in the late 1970s. He built the Dangote Group into Africa's largest cement producer and a giant in sugar and salt, then built a huge oil refinery in Lagos. He has long ranked as Africa's richest person. From talk show host to Netflix deals: Mo Abudu and the EbonyLife empire Movies & TV From talk show host to Netflix deals: Mo Abudu and the EbonyLife empire Mo Abudu left a career in human resources to host the talk show Moments with Mo, then founded EbonyLife, a Nigerian media company behind films such as The Wedding Party and Chief Daddy. EbonyLife later signed deals with Netflix and other global companies, including the series Blood Sisters. Same father, different flags: when the Boateng brothers faced each other at the World Cup Celebrity Buzz Same father, different flags: when the Boateng brothers faced each other at the World Cup Half-brothers Jérôme and Kevin-Prince Boateng, sons of a Ghanaian father, grew up in Berlin. Jérôme played for Germany and Kevin-Prince chose Ghana. On 23 June 2010, in Johannesburg, they became the first brothers to play against each other at a World Cup, and met again in 2014. From Brazzaville to an NBA ring, two Olympic medals for Spain and a cooking show: Serge Ibaka Celebrity Buzz From Brazzaville to an NBA ring, two Olympic medals for Spain and a cooking show: Serge Ibaka Serge Ibaka was born in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, in 1989. He became a shot-blocking star in the NBA, won Olympic medals with Spain in 2012 and 2016, and was an NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Fans also know him for his YouTube show How Hungry Are You? Born in Port Harcourt, raised in Alaska: Chinonye Chukwu, the first Black woman to win Sundance’s top prize Movies & TV Born in Port Harcourt, raised in Alaska: Chinonye Chukwu, the first Black woman to win Sundance’s top prize Nigerian-born filmmaker Chinonye Chukwu won the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2019 for Clemency, starring Alfre Woodard as a prison warden. She was the first Black woman to win it. She later directed Till, about Emmett Till's mother. 2:00:35 in Chicago, dead four months later at 24: Kelvin Kiptum’s marathon world record Celebrity Buzz 2:00:35 in Chicago, dead four months later at 24: Kelvin Kiptum’s marathon world record Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum set the men's marathon world record of 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon on 8 October 2023, in only his third marathon. On 11 February 2024, he and his coach Gervais Hakizimana were killed in a car crash in Kenya. He was 24. He sold water in traffic in Lagos. Victor Osimhen became Serie A’s top scorer and Africa’s best player Celebrity Buzz He sold water in traffic in Lagos. Victor Osimhen became Serie A’s top scorer and Africa’s best player Victor Osimhen grew up in Olusosun, Lagos, selling water to drivers in traffic. He was top scorer at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria won. In 2022-23 he scored 26 Serie A goals as Napoli won their first title since 1990, and he was named African Footballer of the Year for 2023. The first hat-trick in a Europa League final: Ademola Lookman’s night in Dublin and his road to African Footballer of the Year Celebrity Buzz The first hat-trick in a Europa League final: Ademola Lookman’s night in Dublin and his road to African Footballer of the Year On 22 May 2024 in Dublin, Ademola Lookman scored a hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final, the first hat-trick in the competition's final. The London-born Nigeria forward was named CAF African Footballer of the Year for 2024. He missed the penalty that lost England a final at 19. Bukayo Saka, the Ealing boy with Nigerian parents, kept going Celebrity Buzz He missed the penalty that lost England a final at 19. Bukayo Saka, the Ealing boy with Nigerian parents, kept going Bukayo Saka, born in Ealing in 2001 to Nigerian parents, came through Arsenal's Hale End academy. At 19, he missed the decisive penalty in the Euro 2020 final shoot-out and faced racist abuse. Three years later, he scored in England's Euro 2024 shoot-out win over Switzerland.