List of Famous people born in Nigeria

Tijani Babangida is a Nigerian former professional footballer, who played as a winger. Known for his pace, his playing style was sometimes compared to that of Marc Overmars. Babangida spent the majority of his playing career at Ajax. Overall, he played in five countries on three continents. At club level, Babangida spent nine years in Netherlands, playing for VVV-Venlo, Roda JC Ajax, and Vitesse. winning the Eredivisie plus KNVB Cup double with the latter side.

Efe Eric Ambrose is a Nigerian footballer, who plays as a defender for Livingston. Ambrose has previously played for Kaduna United, Bayelsa United, Israeli club Ashdod, Scottish clubs Celtic and Hibernian and English side Derby County.

Chiamaka Cynthia Nnadozie is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Paris FC in the French Division 1 Féminine and the Nigeria national team.

Ibrahim Yaqoub El Zakzaky to a Fulani mallawa clan in Zaria, is an imprisoned outspoken and prominent Shi'a Muslim leader in Nigeria. He is the head of Nigeria's Islamic Movement, which he founded in the late 1970s, when a student at Ahmadu Bello University, and began propagating Shia Islam around 1979, at the time of the Iranian revolution—which saw Iran's monarchy overthrown and replaced with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. Zakzaky believed that the establishment of a republic along similar religious lines in Nigeria would be feasible. He has been detained several times due to accusations of civil disobedience or recalcitrance under military regimes in Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s, and is still viewed with suspicion or as a threat by Nigerian authorities. In December 2015, the Nigerian Army raided his residence in Zaria, seriously injured him, and killed hundreds of his followers; since then, he has remained under state detention in the nation's capital pending his release, which was ordered in late 2016. In 2019, a court in Kaduna state granted him and his wife bail to seek treatment abroad but they returned from India after 3 days on the premises of unfair treatment and tough restrictions by security operatives deployed to the medical facility.

Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari, making the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent president lost re-election and conceded defeat. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010 Under the administration of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua; and in oil-rich Bayelsa State as Governor of Bayelsa State from 2005 to 2007.

Chief Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga Jr is a Nigerian billionaire businessman, and the third richest person in Africa. His company Globacom is Nigeria's second-largest telecom operator, which has a presence in Ghana and Benin. He owns stakes in the Equitorial Trust Bank and the oil exploration firm Conoil. Forbes has estimated his net worth at $5.7 billion as of July 2020.

Michael Collins Ajereh, known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian record producer, audio engineer,record executive,singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder and the CEO of Mavin Records.Don Jazzy was co-owner of the defunct Mo' Hits Records record label with Dbanj.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was a Nigerian politician who was the first and only Prime Minister of Nigeria.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCVO, CFR, CON is a Nigerian diplomat of Igbo descent. He was the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. Born in Obosi, Anyaoku was educated at Merchants of Light School, Oba, and attended the University College of Ibadan, then a college of the University of London, from which he obtained an honours degree in Classics as a College Scholar. Aside from his international career, Chief Anyaoku continues to fulfill the duties of his office as Ichie Adazie of Obosi, a traditional Ndichie chieftainship.

Yakubu "Jack" Gowon is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975.