RMD, Kunle Afolayan, 3 other Nigerians join Oscars’ Academy

Famous Nigerian superstar actors, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), Kunle Afolayan, and Jade Osiberu are among the five Nigerians invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) class of 2023, making them voting Oscars members.

In a blog post, the AMPAS revealed the names of the 398 artists and entertainment executives invited to join the Oscar-dispensing group.

Other Nigerians who made the list are C.J Obasi and Shola Dada.

See how the Nigerians were placed on the list:

1. RMD — actor category

2. Kunle Afolayan — writer category

3. Shola Dada — writer category

4. CJ “Fiery” Obasi — director category

5. Jade Osiberu — producer category

The actors have excitedly taken to their Instagram pages to express their excitement. See their reactions below:

The Academy said the new members were invited based on “professionalism, commitment to representation, inclusion and equity”.

Of the 2023 invitees, 34% belong to an under-represented racial or ethnic community, while 40% identify as women. 52% are also from 50 countries and territories outside the United States.

If all 398 invitees accept membership, it will bring the total number of overall Academy members to 10,817 — up from 10,665 last year — with 9,375 eligible to vote for the next Oscars — due to deaths and retirements among others.

The 96th Oscars ceremony is set to take place on March 10, 2024.

Ramsey Nouah and Mo Abudu were among the 395 invitees for the AMPAS class of 2021 while Genevieve Nnaji, Akin Omotoso, and Cynthia Erivo, Nigerian-born British actress, were invited to join the Academy in 2020.