Comedian and Emmy nominated Nigerian American actress; Yvonne Orji hosted a celebration of Nigerian Excellence in honor of Nigerian Independence Day.
The 3rd annual celebration held at Beauty & Essex in Los Angeles, brought together prominent activists, actors, artists, athletes, creatives, executives, and musicians . Orji was joined by her Insecure family Issa Rae and Kendrick Sampson as well as writer, Amy Aniobi, and producer Denise Davis. Additionally, the cast and crew from Orji’s HBO Original stand-up special A Whole Me, came out in support including Malakai (Director), Chinedu Unaka (Writer and Actor), Hari Williams (Actor), Jerah Milligan (Director), NaMÓ (Actor), Nneoma (Actor), Dinora Walcott (Actress), and DC Wade (Executive Producer). Other notable guests in attendance included Adamma Ebo & Adanne Ebo, Jackie Aina, Elsa Majimbo, Dayo Okeniyi, Chiney Ogwumike, Deborah Ayorinde, Folake Olowofoyeku, Ugo Mozie and many more.
Would it be a proper Nigerian celebration without authentic Nigerian food? The answer is unequivocally no which is why guests were served Nigerian specialties such as fufu, egusi soup, jollof rice, plantains, fried chicken and ofe onugbu from Veronica’s Kitchen located in Inglewood, California. The Insecure star jumps at the chance to bring the Nigerian community together from all walks of life, not just entertainment as she said, “we all have an opportunity to do what we do and as we are great and excellent at what we do, it opens the door for the next person. And the reality is that people don’t even know what they want until you sell it to them.” Essentially, the gift that keeps on giving.
As much as this was a night to highlight the incredible talent that often gets overlooked, it was also an evening to celebrate the accomplishments of Orji herself whose career has taken off following the success of HBO’s Insecure and her first HBO special, Momma, I Made it! Orji debuted clips from her sophomore special, A Whole Me which premiered on October 1 and is now available to stream on HBO Max to a room of roaring laughs and cheers of appreciation. This special speaks to her growth as an artist and person, and is a beautiful mix of heart, humor, and healing. In it, she shares the journey of self-awareness, self-worth, and self-care that helped her become “A Whole Me,” all while celebrating and highlighting her Nigerian culture that she holds close to her heart. Orji’s manager DC Wade recalls her excitement when approaching him about this new venture, “I wanna do my next special but I wanna do a show, I wanna do a sketch, I wanna do something that resonates with the community and people…just so they feel seen in a different way.” She is a creative who has made it her mission to represent an important and undoubtedly prolific community.
Whether you are of Nigerian descent or not, the infectious pride, joy and culture of the guests was felt throughout the night. Sounds by DJ R-Tistic set the vibes and had everyone grooving to Afro beats and other popular music. Party goers indulged in hors d’oeuvres as well as specialty cocktails such as the “A Whole Me,” “Momma I Made It” and “Lasgidi.” Gift bags were also graciously sponsored by Bolden and Grace Eleyae, along with custom merch from the special.
