Mo Abudu

Mo Abudu
Born (1964-09-11) 11 September 1964
London, United Kingdom
Residence Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
Education Ridgeway School
MidKent College
West Kent College.
Occupation Media proprietor
Website ebonylifetv.com

Mosunmola Abudu, usually known as Mo Abudu, is a British media mogul, media personality, philanthropist, and former human resources management consultant, based in Nigeria.[1] She has been described by Forbes as "Africa's Most Successful Woman".[2][3]

Early life and education

Abudu's early years were spent in the UK, where she was born and raised. She worked her way through college, attending the Ridgeway School, MidKent College and West Kent College.

Career

EbonyLife TV

In 2006, Abudu started EbonyLife TV,[4][5][6] a network airing in more than 49 countries across Africa, as well as in the UK and the Caribbean.[7] It is a subsidiary of Media and Entertainment City Africa (MEC Africa), EbonyLife TV is located at Tinapa Resort, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

In March 2018, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced that they had concluded a three-year deal with EbonyLife TV that would include co-production of The Dahomey Warriors, a series about the Amazons who took on French colonialists in a 19th century west African kingdom.[8]

EbonyLife Films

Abudu established EbonyLife Films. Her first film as executive producer was Fifty. Teaming up with The ELFIKE Collective in 2016, she produced The Wedding Party, which became the highest-grossing title of all time in the Nigerian film industry (Nollywood).[9]

Moments with Mo

Abudu is the Executive Producer and host of a TV talk show, Moments with Mo, which is the first syndicated daily talk show on African regional television.[10][11]

Abudu with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

By October 2009, over 200 episodes had been recorded and aired with topics ranging from lifestyle, through health, culture, politics, entertainment, tradition, to music and inter-racial marriages. Guests have included celebrities, Presidents, Nobel Laureates, and the 67th US Secretary-of-State Hillary Clinton,[12] Abudu says the show "highlights the life and accomplishments of a usually well known, but sometimes an undiscovered African individual who by his or her own tenacity and determination has accomplished something, overcome something or been a catalyst for something that makes her or him a role model to others."[13]

Aired on M-Net with TV coverage in 48 African countries, the show now also airs on terrestrial and cable TV in other parts of the world.

The show's success and intention to change the world's perception of the African continent has led to comparisons to Oprah Winfrey, with The Independent and Slate Afrique calling her "Africa's Oprah"[12] or "Nigerian Winfrey", respectively.[14]

The Debaters

Abudu is the creator and executive producer of The Debaters, a reality television show. Funded by Guaranty Trust Bank, it launched on 3 October 2009. The show focuses on "giving Africa a voice" by promoting oratory.[15]

Achievements

Forbes Africa recognised Abudu as the first African woman to own a Pan-Africa TV channel (2013).[16][17] She was listed as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Global TV by The Hollywood Reporter in (2013)[18] and received the Entrepreneur of the Year award by Women Werk in New York (2014).[19] In 2014, she was honoured with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Honouris Causa) from Babcock University.[20]

Personal life

Abudu lives in Lagos. She has a son and a daughter.[21] and was formerly married to Tokunbo Abudu.[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Florence Amagiya (2 August 2014). "Mo Abudu, the pie that made her rich". The Vanguard. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  2. ↑ Funsho Arogundade (9 January 2015). "Mo Abudu Is Forbes Africa's Most Successful Woman". Prime News. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Africa's Most Successful Women: Mo Abudu". Forbes. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "MIPCOM: The 25 Most Powerful Women in Global TV". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Meet the hosts of Moments". DStv. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Nigerian woman launches tv network".
  7. ↑ CNN, Michelle Cohan and Nosmot Gbadamosi. "The Nigerian Media mogul with a global empire". CNN. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  8. ↑ CNN, Chris Giles,. "Nollywood, Sony Pictures join forces for TV series on all-female African army". CNN. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  9. ↑ "'The Wedding Party' rakes in over N400m in ticket sales". Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  10. ↑ Faul, Michelle (2 July 2013). "'Africa's Oprah' Mo Abudu launches TV network in Nigeria". Thestar.com. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  11. ↑ Enengedi Victor (10 June 2013). "ET Exclusive: Mo' Abudu launches N2bn TV channel". Nigerian Entertainment. Net newspapers. p. 1. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  12. 1 2 Smallman, Etan (16 November 2013). "Meet Africa's Oprah: Why Mosunmola 'Mo' Abudu wants to change the world's view of her continent". Independent. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "Grand launch for Mo-ments with Mo". 31 October 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  14. ↑ "Mosunmola Abudu, la Oprah Winfrey nigériane | Slate Afrique". Slate Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  15. ↑ "The Debaters... new on screen". 23 July 2009.
  16. ↑ "Mo Abudu Africa's queen of talk - Forbes Africa". Forbes Africa. 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  17. ↑ ". The Guardian (Nigeria)
  18. ↑ "Mosunmola Abudu - MIPCOM: The 25 Most Powerful Women in Global TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  19. ↑ "International Women's Day: Mo Abudu wins Entrepreneur of the Year - The Nation Nigeria". The Nation Nigeria. 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  20. ↑ "Mo Abudu Receives Honorary Doctorate from Babcock University - BellaNaija". www.bellanaija.com. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  21. ↑ "I left ExxonMobil as HR manager to fulfill my personal dream – Mo Abudu". 24 January 2010.
  22. ↑ Adoti, Olive (2017-08-04). "Interesting facts from the personal and family life of Africa's Oprah - Mo Abudu". Naija.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
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