Wale Adenuga
Encyclopedia
Wale Adenuga, MFR, is a Nigerian former cartoonist
/publisher, and currently a series producer, best known for the publications Ikebe Super, Binta and Super Story, and their televised versions.
merchant, was raised in Ibadan and attended the Ibadan City Academy where he obtained he O-Level certificate, before proceeding to Kings College Lagos for his higher school certificate, where he formed a pop band which later disbanded.
in 1971 where he studied Business Administration. As a student who was interested in art and drawing, he worked for the cartoon section of the institution's campus magazine, and was soon made chief cartoonist. The experience inspired him to publish his own magazine. In 1975 after graduation and youth service in Bendel, his comic Ikebe Super was launched. Despite tough competition with other magazines, Ikebe proved to be popular among Nigerian readers due to the characters - womaniser Papa Ajasco, illiterate Pa Jimoh, and playboy Boy Alinco. A leading female character, promiscuous gold-digger Miss Pepeiye, was later introduced. Adenuga's other magazines were Super Story, which focused on satirical issues and Binta, a children's publication.
movie Papa Ajasco, which was based on the main character in Ikebe Super, in 1983. Papa Ajasco made history as the first English comedy in an industry which had been dominated by Yoruba
productions. A film version of Binta, re-entitled Binta My Daughter was released in 1995. A year later the television series Papa Ajasco (formerly The Ajasco Family) was aired on Nigerian television to rave reviews. This small screen version saw the return of the old characters, and new character Pa James, who was created to avoid offending muslim
s. ("We did not want [a muslim] who did the silly things as Pa Jimoh alone.")
. The school was recently featured in De Film Industries van Nigeria, a Danish
documentary on the Nigerian film industry.
In 2009, he was conferred with the Member of the order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria honour (MFR) as acknowledgement of his immense contribution to the growth and development of Nigeria.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
/publisher, and currently a series producer, best known for the publications Ikebe Super, Binta and Super Story, and their televised versions.
Early life
Adenuga, whose father was a tobaccoTobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
merchant, was raised in Ibadan and attended the Ibadan City Academy where he obtained he O-Level certificate, before proceeding to Kings College Lagos for his higher school certificate, where he formed a pop band which later disbanded.
Publishing
Adenuga gained admission into the University of LagosUniversity of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
in 1971 where he studied Business Administration. As a student who was interested in art and drawing, he worked for the cartoon section of the institution's campus magazine, and was soon made chief cartoonist. The experience inspired him to publish his own magazine. In 1975 after graduation and youth service in Bendel, his comic Ikebe Super was launched. Despite tough competition with other magazines, Ikebe proved to be popular among Nigerian readers due to the characters - womaniser Papa Ajasco, illiterate Pa Jimoh, and playboy Boy Alinco. A leading female character, promiscuous gold-digger Miss Pepeiye, was later introduced. Adenuga's other magazines were Super Story, which focused on satirical issues and Binta, a children's publication.
Film/Television Production
In the late eighties, Nigerian publications were affected by the economic depression,leaving Adenuga with the decision to move from print to electronic. Before the growth of the film industry, Adenuga had released the celluloidCelluloid
Celluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents. Generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic, it was first created as Parkesine in 1862 and as Xylonite in 1869, before being registered as Celluloid in 1870. Celluloid is...
movie Papa Ajasco, which was based on the main character in Ikebe Super, in 1983. Papa Ajasco made history as the first English comedy in an industry which had been dominated by Yoruba
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
productions. A film version of Binta, re-entitled Binta My Daughter was released in 1995. A year later the television series Papa Ajasco (formerly The Ajasco Family) was aired on Nigerian television to rave reviews. This small screen version saw the return of the old characters, and new character Pa James, who was created to avoid offending muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. ("We did not want [a muslim] who did the silly things as Pa Jimoh alone.")
Institutions
On September 24, 1994, Adenuga and his wife Ehiwenma founded Binta International School in Lagos. The institution is "built on the philosophy of balanced and excellent education, strongly derived from a burning desire to provide qualitative education at moderate, convenient and affordable rates; with an intent to making our pupils standard bearers and upon graduation competent citizens of unequalled moral rectitude". In 2004, Adenuga opened the Pencil Film and Television Institute (PEFTI). Its courses include Producing, Directing, and CinematographyCinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
. The school was recently featured in De Film Industries van Nigeria, a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
documentary on the Nigerian film industry.
Awards
In 2002, Adenuga won five awards at the Nigeria Film Festival for Best Producer, Best Script Writer, Best Director, Best Television Drama and Best Socially Relevant Television Production.In 2009, he was conferred with the Member of the order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria honour (MFR) as acknowledgement of his immense contribution to the growth and development of Nigeria.