Published 30th Dec, 2022

By Tola Owoyele

Despite the free fall of Nigeria in critical areas like the economy, security, leadership, Corruption Perception Index (CPI), quite a few of its citizens have continued to give it a good name and image abroad.

Apart from excelling in their areas of specialty and making their respective families proud, these Nigerians have positioned the country as one with a potential to be great if the natural talents and resources it possesses are correctly harnessed, encouraged and made to flourish.

Among others, here are seven Nigerians that made Nigeria proud abroad in 2022:

CHARLES OSUJI

In October, Charles Osuji, a Canada-based Nigerian lawyer, became a household name in the country of his birth.

After studying law in Nigeria, Osuji was called to the bar in 2010. He then migrated to Canada in 2011 and joined the Smith Law Firm three years later.

After three years as an intern at the firm, Osuji bought and guided it towards a constant upward trajectory. The firm, which name was changed to Osuji & Smith Law Firm, now ranks among the best legal outfits in Alberta, Canada. It has also risen to become one of the largest black-owned law firm not only in Alberta, but in the whole of Canada.

In 2022 alone, Osuji’s firm won the following awards:

2022 Top Choice of Business Law Services in Calgary, the 2022 Best Business in Canada by Canadian Business Review Board, the 2022 Best Employment Lawyers in Calgary, 2022 Best Real Estate Lawyers in Calgary, the 2022 Best Family Lawyers in Calgary and the 2022 Best Divorce Lawyers in Calgary.

TOBI AMUSAN

In July, Tobi Amusan became the first Nigerian to win gold at the World Athletics Championship held in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America.

Before the finals, Amusan had set a new world record after finishing her race in 12.12 seconds in the semi-finals of the same tournament, smashing America’s Kendra Harrison’s record of 12.20 seconds set in July 2016.

Amusan broke another world record in September after becoming the first Nigerian to be crowned a Diamond League champion in Zurich, Switzerland.

Amusan remains a gold medal prospect for Nigeria as the 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris, France, draws near.

DAYO OLUKOSHI

In August, Dayo Olukoshi, a UK-based Nigerian school administrator, made the news after leading Brampton Manor Academy, a secondary school situated in East Ham, London, to produce the best A-level results in the country.

Through Olukoshi’s excellent leadership skills, 430 students (nearly 90 percent of those that took the exams) achieved straight A/A* grades. Apart from this, 89 members of the Brampton Manor 2022 class have gained admission into either Oxford University or Cambridge University. It is the highest any school in the UK has.

The school’s 2022 feat is an improvement on the school’s exam success rate, as both Oxford and Cambridge had offered 55 students of the school admission in 2021, and 51 in 2020.

In 2015, the late Queen Elizabeth II bestowed a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) award on Olukoshi for his exceptional contributions to education in the United Kingdom.

ABBA B. GUMEL

In November, Abba B. Gumel, a Nigeria-born scholar, was named in the 2023 class of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society (AMS).

The AMS honoured Gumel for his contribution to the mathematical theory of epidemics, applied dynamical systems, and promotion of the use of mathematics to help solve global public health challenges.

Gumel is a professor of mathematics and Michael and Eugenia Brin Endowed E-Nnovate Chair in mathematics at the Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park, United States of America.

Gumel got his bachelors degree in mathematics from Bayero University, Nigeria, in 1989, and a PhD in mathematics from Brunel University London, United Kingdom, in 1994.

He works as a mathematical biologist who analyses and designs novel mathematical models for understanding the transmission dynamics and control of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Gumel’s research is said to be of great public health significance with regards to countering epidemics and pandemics.

ASISAT OSHOALA

On July 21, Asisat Oshoala, Super Falcons of Nigeria striker, was named the 2022 African Women’s Player of the Year at the CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco.

Oshoala, who plies her trade at Barcelona FC in Spain, picked the award ahead of Ajara Nchout Njoya of Cameroon and Grace Chanda of Zambia.

More importantly, Oshoala played a key role in Barcelona’s 2022 title-winning season in Spain.

With this, she becomes the first African to win this prestigious award for a record five times, overtaking Perpetua Nkwocha, a Nigerian who claimed the accolade on four occasions.

BURNA BOY

Following his Grammy Award win of 2021 for his Album Twice As Tall, Damini Ogulu, the Nigerian musical artiste popularly known as Burna Boy, has continued to shatter records.

At the beginning of the year, the artiste became the first Nigerian musician to sell out the 20,300-capacity Accor Arena in Paris, France, twice.

On April 28, Burna Boy became not just the first Nigerian act to headline a show at the Madison Square Garden, New York, United States of America, but also the first to sell it out.

On July 8, the artiste released his sixth album titled Love, Damini.

Since then, the album has been breaking records, including occupying the highest debut position, 14, for an Afrobeats album on the Billboard 200 album chart after selling over 20,000 copies in the US.

Love, Damini also debuted on the United Kingdom album chart at number two, becoming the highest-charting Afrobeats album in the UK.

The album dominated most digital streaming platforms in Nigeria, with most of the songs occupying the top 10 spots on the Spotify Daily Chart and the Apple Music Top Songs Chart in the country.

Last Last, one of the songs on the album, debuted at number 13 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. It has also become one of the most loved songs around the world.

AKOLISA UFODIKE

On October 26, Akolisa Ufodike, a Nigeria-born Canadian entrepreneur, was appointed Deputy Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism in Alberta, Canada.

Ufodike, 49, was born in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. He attended Nigerian Military School, Zaria, and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), both in Kaduna State.

He is an entrepreneur, academic, finance executive and politician. Presently, he is a director at Kainji Resources, an oil and gas company in Nigeria. He also currently serves as assistant professor of auditing, public policy and law at York University in Toronto, Canada.

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