Sharetroll, you obviously grew up in Yankee if you think Olajuwon is more globally popular than Okocha, Kanu or even Taribo. Many Nigerians have never even heard of Olajuwon, talkless of that Olowokandi guy . I like basketball, but it does not touch football (real football) in terms of global popularity.

And on subject, Fela is definitely the most popular and well respected Nigerian. I just wish we could have more original Nigerian artists lke him, but it seems all of our artists want to be poor Western copycats nowadays.

The name 419 is my number one!, He's Nigerian, ko?

I totally agree with epiphany,
it just has to be okocha and kanu, then you can talk about obasanjo. These guys are known by literates and illiterates, northerners and southerners, nigerians all over; foreigners, the 7 continents in the world.
talking about lemar, tuface, sade, olajuwon, babangida,chinua achebe, fela and co., they are either known well where they operate or operated or just known a little where they didnt operate.
In most countries i have visited, what the people use in identifying nigerians are either kanu/okocha or fraudsters.

Definately;

- Professor Wole Soyinka
- Mrs Ransome Kuti (Fela's mum for being the first woman driver)
- JJ Okotcha and Kanu

Okocha and Kanu with no dispute pleaazzzzeeeee are the most famous Nigerian known internationally. Everywhere I have been on the globe , their names comes on as soon as I introduce myself as a Nigerian. Baba Sege and all this other people you are mentioning are sure local champion, sorry to say.
I REST MY CASE

IBEXY:

O boy!
so Chamillionaire is Nigerian?
I knew it !
That dude looks like someone I used to know in Ajegunle.
Trust naijaman, see the kin name wey im choose sef.

He's never lived in Naija sooo i doubt ull kno him, heard he's 4rm Oyo State, father Naija mother 4rm another continent.

okocha, kalu and fela are for real. the rest like @richylaw said are just playing on local level.

Pointblank:

DEPRIEYE ALAMIEYESEGHA.


YEAH, ITS GOT TO BE HIM

Can't be serious

Hey, Where's my name in that list Ok, i thought you said in Future

The most popular Nigerian ever of all time has to be, Abasanjo

Pointblank:

DEPRIEYE ALAMIEYESEGHA.


YEAH, ITS GOT TO BE HIM

Him? Don't you mean her? Its all so confusing.

My people, this list below shows the most popular Nigerians home and Abroad.

LOOTED MONEY DISCOVERED IN FOREIGN BANKS NAMES OF DEPOSITORS

LOOTED MONEY DISCOVERED IN FOREIGN BANKS

NAMES OF DEPOSITORS LONDON SWISS($) USA ($) GERMANY (D)

GEN IBRAHIM BABANGIDA 6.25bn 7.41bn 2.00bn 9.00bn

GEN ABUBAKAR 1.31bn 2.33bn 800M

REAR ADMIRAL MIKE AKHIGBE 1.24bn 2.42bn 671M 1bn



GEN JERRY USENI 3.04bn 2.01bn 1.01bn 900M

ALH ISMAILA GWARZO 1.03bn 2.00bn 1.3bn 700M

ALH UMARU DIKKO 4.5bn 1.4bn 700M 345M

PAUL OGWUMA 300M 1.42bn 200M 500M

GEN SANI ABACHA 9.01bn 4.09bn 800M 3.01M

MOHAMMED ABACHA 300M 1.2bn 150M 535M

ABDULKADIR ABACHA 700M 1.21bn 900M 471M

ALHAJI WADA NAS 600M 1.32bn 300M

TOM IKIMI 400M 1.39bn 152M 371M

DAN ETETE 1.12bn 1.03bn 400M 1.72bn

DON ETIBET 2.5bn 1.06bn 700M 361M

MAJ AL MUSTAPHA 600M 1.001bn 210M

ANTHONY ANI 2.9bn 1.09bn 360M 1.66bn

BASHIR DALHATU 2.3bn 1.001bn 161M 1.43bn

GEN WUSHISHI 700M 1.301bn

ALH HASSAN ADAMU 300M 200M 700M

T Y DANJUMA 300M 200M 700M

GEN ISHAYA BAMAYI 120M 800M

@ Juliesanto, where is the list from?

go to this web site and read the whole story hmm!!!


http://www.africananews.com/cover/200511/world_bank_distances_itself_from.htm

Seal

1- BABADEE!
2- BABADEE!!
3- BABADEE!!!
4- BABADEE!!!!
5- BABADEE!!!!!
6- AND ALL THE OTHERS

WALE ADENUGA

ALH ATIKU ABUBAKAR

SENATOR MUSLIU OBANIKORO

JIMI AGBAJE


FOREIGN PERSONALITIES

PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH

BILL GATES

LATE SADDAM HUSSEIN

Okocha and Kanu of course!. Even my chinese friends sabi them. I never knew how famous these guys are until I left naija. Of course, when u meet people from Uganda, Ghana, S/A and the rest, they'll ask you about Nollywood stars, But forget! Europeans, Americans and Asians (whether sport fanatics or not) know that Kanu and Okocha are the most famous Nigerians. , and if you happen to meet someone working in the Oil sector, they will ask u abt the kidnapping in Niger-Delta !.

i was almost taken aback not untill i found his name amongst the few.he fought for what others are enjoying today otherwise called politics; he is the marthry of morden day democracy,pilar of sport,philantropic per excellence; M.K.O Abiola, and also his lovelyu wife kudirat. fela definately will rank #1 long live ABAMI EDA aka THE WEIRD ONE

well i think the most popular nigerians in the world is:

Donald duke- goverment of calabar)
Genevieve- actress
Lemar- uk singer
P-square- band group
Styl-plus- band group

oh yh it has to be Kanu and okocha

who is hakeem olajuwon i'm Nigerian nd i dont even know him/er nt to talk of the rest of the world.

who cud the most pop. Nigerian be . ok i will ve to go with the minister of information Frank Nweke jnr.he got quite pop. recently tryin to cover for nigerians _{niger delta crisis}.

nt quite sure he is but i think he cud be one.

If you don't know who Hakeem Olajuwon is than wikipedia him err something, I find this very suprising tho, You must not be a basketball fan, But I bet you know who John Amaechi is

"wikipedia him err something"
i dint get a word of that

"John Ameachi"
oops, sorry i dont know him either.

speaking abt basketball cud u possibly know who Obinna Ekezie is ?

Rev. King of CPA.

guys Have u forgotten MKO Abiola ( June 12)?
let me judge based what pple around here know

Soccer: Kanu & Okocha

Education: Chinua Achebe & Wole Soyinka ( His books are been read in SA schls)

Religion: Pastor E.A Adeboye & Bishop Oyedepo ( the church is well known here)

Politics: MKO Abiola & IBB/ Abacha

Movie industry: Aki & Pawpaw

Music: Fela and femi Kuti

are we mentioning the Nigerians we know or the ones that the whole world knows??
i donot think the world knows Genny, but yes i do think the whole world knows 2face because of teh African Queen thing,
the next are the sports guys, jj Okocha and Kano , after that we need to look in the prisons and amongst the Black listed names in Embassys

Chinua Achebe
Wole Soyinka
Chiamanda
Obasanjo(love or hate him)
Any body else is a bloody pretender and a local champion especially Fela, go to the streets, ask he is not that well known outside Nigeria the few who do know him are europeans afro-woodstock wanna bes,Olajuwon has suffered a bashing recently and hey can we really call him a Nigerian?I mean when was the last time you heard The Dream voice an opinion about Naija, lets face it he is more concerned about the plight of Iraqis in Iraq and "American Agression against Islam"wonder why he doesnt go to afganistan and join up pleaseeeee

Religion---------Fr. Mbaka,Chris Oyakilome
Sports----------JJ Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo
Academics------Wole Sonyinka,Chinua Achebe,Flora Nwapa,chike Obi
Business--------Aliko Dangote,Adenuga, M.K.O Abiola
Movies----------Olu Jacobs,Pete Edochie,RMD,Genevieve Nnaji
Politics----------Tony Anini,OBJ,IBB,Ribadu(EFCC)
Health----------Prof.Dora Nkem Akunyile(NAFDAC)
Music----------Fela Kuti,Femi Kuti,Tu Face,Weird M.C,Labaja
Human Right--------Ken Saro Wiwa,Moris,Abiola somebody
Finance---------Charles Soludo,Ngozi okonji Iwuala
Law---------Justice Nyonka,Fawehim
science--------Emeagwali


continue from the list

i have never heard some of teh names mentioned on this topic
the topic is to mention the names that the WHOLE WORLD knows not whom we know and think others shd know

fesse:

Religion---------Fr. Mbaka,Chris Oyakilome
Sports----------JJ Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo
Academics------Wole Sonyinka,Chinua Achebe,Flora Nwapa,chike Obi
Business--------Aliko Dangote,Adenuga, M.K.O Abiola
Movies----------Olu Jacobs,Pete Edochie,RMD,Genevieve Nnaji
Politics----------Tony Anini,OBJ,IBB,Ribadu(EFCC)
Health----------Prof.Dora Nkem Akunyile(NAFDAC)
Music----------Fela Kuti,Femi Kuti,Tu Face,Weird M.C,Labaja
Human Right--------Ken Saro Wiwa,Moris,Abiola somebody
Finance---------Charles Soludo,Ngozi okonji Iwuala
Law---------Justice Nyonka,Fawehim
science--------Emeagwali


continue from the list

popular world wide? , i dont know abt dat though, but judging by your list watever happened Ndy Okereke Onyeike

fela, Austin Okocha, kanu nwankwo