When Another Takes Your Shine: The Taiwo Adeyemi Saga and a Tale of Mistaken Identity
YNaija's "The Nollywood 100" event gets entangled in an unpleasant case of name swap and mistaken Identity.
The team at YNaija conceived an impressive idea to honor the top contributors to Nollywood, recognizing those who have significantly impacted the industry in the past year.
Dubbed "The Nollywood 100," this initiative aimed to add more flair and fanfare to an industry experiencing rapid growth. It's likely that convincing EbonyLife Films to join as supporting partners wasn't difficult, given the studioβs continued contribution towards the industry's vibrant momentum. However, selecting the first 100 individuals was likely a challenging task, given the plethora of talented and active professionals in Nollywood today.
One of the 100 selected individuals was Taiwo Adeyemi, a name not widely recognized. Even a Google search fails to yield a definitive response about this individual's background. It becomes evident that there is more than one person named Taiwo Adeyemi, a crucial point to remember.
When YNaija reached out to the recipients of The Nollywood 100, they were explicitly instructed not to share the news until the official announcement was made. On the day of the event, February 15th, Taiwo Adeyemi dressed up and received his award in person. He then shared the news with his friends, fans, and family on social media, as agreed. Simultaneously, the organizers' media team flooded the media with PR materials, including bios of the 100 recipients. However, this is where things took an interesting turn.
It didn't take long after the social media fanfare kicked off for an observer on X, @gbokzi, to notice a discrepancy. The photograph of the honored Taiwo Adeyemi at the event did not match the publicly released bio.
In a plot twist reminiscent of a haphazardly scripted comedy, it became apparent to many that there are two people named Taiwo Adeyemi actively involved in Nollywood today:
Taiwo Adeyemi, the actor, who received the invite to the event, and
Taiwo Adeyemi, the talent manager and art curator responsible for the popular Losing Daylight Nollywood exhibition. Itβs his bio that was used above.
The question on everyoneβs lips was how the organizers could overlook such a critical detail throughout the planning process. And more importantly, who is the award truly intended for?
While only the organizers at YNaija and EbonyLife Films can accurately answer the latter question, several inferences can be made about the former.
Having attended the Losing Daylight exhibition in Lagos last December, I understand how easy it is to experience a mix-up while researching βTaiwo Adeyemiβ. While searching for the curator of the exhibition, I encountered Taiwo Adeyemi, the actor. Although a little extra interpretation of the available information spared me from making a mistake, a little reason can be glimpsed if one chooses to empathize with the organizers who had to sort through the details and bios of 100 people (and other honorary awardees), making it possible for such a blunder to occur. However, this wasnβt the only costly mistake they made.
Another Blunder?
Another recipient of The Nollywood 100 was Mautin Tairu, known for producing the 2023 Nollywood sensation "Mami Wata." While his movie continues to receive acclaim in new territories, Mautin's recognition at the event is notable not for his contribution to the film, but because he is the only recipient without a photo in the promotional materials.
In a post on X that has gained some traction, Mautin mentioned:
"I found out about my own selection after the event. They claim they tried to reach me but couldnβt get through. Out of the 100 people, Iβm the only one without a picture because they couldnβt do their due diligence to find all possible means to reach me. Very lazy lots." - @mrmmautin
Mautin isn't as elusive as Lagbaja or Hacksultan, so it's puzzling why and how the organizers couldn't find his image, especially since itβs his DP on X, where heβs very active.
This additional blunder reflects poorly on the organizers.
A meticulous quality assurance process would have resolved both the issue of mistaken identity for the Adeyemis and the absence of a photograph for Mautin. This highlights a common lack of attention to detail and excellence that is sometimes seen in Nigerians. It manifests in overlooked details and unaddressed issues, a trend often observed in various aspects of life in this region.
As of writing this, no public statement has been issued by YNaija regarding this matter.
Whose Award Is It?
Many have criticized Taiwo Adeyemi (the actor) since the mix-up was pointed out on X. However, this seems unfair, as the actor is merely collateral damage in this incident. According to @TheMaryamGiwa who released the email conversation thread between the actor and the event organizers, the former wasnβt aware of the bio attached to the award beforehand as it wasnβt made available to him, which most likely applies to all the other recipients. βIt wasnβt listed in the emails sent to him, I have attached the screenshot,β she posted in response to someone who accused the actor of fraud and identity theft.
We canβt be completely certain about who the recognition truly belongs to. Only the team at YNaija and EbonyLife Films can answer that.
As of the time of publishing, nearly 48 hours have passed since the event and almost 24 hours since the news of the discrepancies broke on X, yet no official statement has been released. The only action taken by YNaija so far is a revision of the copy on their website, which now matches the actor's image and other promotional materials published across the media. This, in my opinion, is the easiest way out for the team to avoid admitting to a major blunder, which they seem to have chosen. This move has, unfortunately, possibly denied the true recipient of the award their due recognition. A sentiment Iβm sure will persist the longer YNaija stays silent on the matter.
To the best of my knowledge, Taiwo Adeyemi (the curator) has remained graceful throughout this incident without making any public statements. After all, he wasnβt informed about any recognition or sent an invitation to the event, so he has no claim to anything.
Faced with such an issue, many would likely start with the simplest solution of changing the website copies, which is easier than republishing images and recalling already awarded plaques. Whether YNaija will issue a public statement accepting some form of responsibility for the mix-up remains to be seen.
The bigger question raised by this incident is its impact on The Nollywood 100 initiative. With all this avoidable drama in the debut edition, one must wonder what the reception will be when the next edition comes calling. Will anyone take it seriously? Can it recover from this incident? All these questions, only time will tell.
The Nollywood 100
The full list of The Nollywood 100, in no particular order:
Editi Effiong, Mary Njoku, Niyi Akinmolayan, C.J Obasi, Tobi Bakre, Tunde Apalowo, Kelechi Udegbe, Onyinye Odokoro, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Oge Obasi, Richard Mofe Damijo, Funke Akindele, Bimbo Ademoye, Olumide Oworu, Timini Egbuson, Jade Osiberu, Emeka Nwagbaraocha, Biodun Stephen, Scarlet Gomez, Yinka Edward, Lateef Adedimeji, Rahama Sadau, Barnabas βBarnyβ Emordi, Funlola Aofiyebi, Kehinde Bankole, Lala Akindoju, Chimezie Imo, Fawaz of Ikorodu Bois, Eku Edewor, Paul Nnadiekwe, Ruth Kadiri, Femi Adebayo, Pat Nebo, Taiwo Adeyemi, Adedapo Idowu, Damola Ademola, Zulumoke Oyibo, Dimeji Ajibola, Naz Onuzo, Martha Ehinome, Adebowale βMr Macaroniβ Adebayo, Bolaji Ogunmola, Gabriel Afolayan, Olarotimi Fakunle, Adim Isiakpona, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Toyosi Etim-Effiong, Chioma Ude, Mimi Bartels, Mautin Tairu, Ini Edo, Anita Eboigbe and Daniel Okechukwu, Oris Aigbokhaevbolo, Ikeade Oriade, Stephanie Linus, Wilfred Okiche, Omowunmi Dada, Donald Tombia, Kenneth Gyang, Lonzo Nzekwe, Mo Abudu, Ireti Doyle, Chidi Mokeme, Shaffy Bello, Toyin Abraham, Xavier Ighorodje, Uzee Usman, Chioma Chukwuka, Jay Franklyn Jituboh, Ifeanyi Barbara Chidi, Showmax, Prime Video, Netflix, Lagos Fringe, Africa Magic, Nollywood Film Club, Nollywire, FilmOne, Ink blot, Anthill, Genoveva Umeh, Okechukwu Nwankwo, Oluwatobi Makinde, Uche Jumbo, Zubby Michael, Tina Mba, Daniel Etim-Effiong, Sam Maurice, James Omokwe, Uzor Arukwe, Joke Silva, Kayode Kasum, Adeolauwa Owu, Nancy Isime, Jide Kene Achufusi, Lani Aisida, Ade Laoye, Dami Elebe, Inechi Opara, and Iyebiye Adeitan.
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There is a befitting Yoruba proverb for this sort of incidence. It basically means 'This matter has put fart and salt in their mouth and they can't swallow either one. Thank you for your unbiased report.