With 2 billion monthly active users and a revenue of $24 billion USD, Instagram has gone past a place to showcase memorable and mundane moments of our lives and evolved into a marketing tool.
On the app, the more followers a person has, the more reach and influence they have – especially when they are celebrities.
Here are the top 10 most followed Nigerian celebrities on Instagram:
Peter Okoye (11.9 million followers)
One half of the musician duo, PSquare, Peter Okoye takes the final place on the list. Years ago, when the duo split and stopped making music, Peter made a name for himself outside the success he had garnered in music.
AY (12.4 million followers)
The only comedian on the list, Richard Ayodeji Makun or AY, is ninth on the list. AY is known to sell out the comedy events he has hosted in the past. He is also an actor, starring in a dozen films.
Ini Edo (12.7 million followers)
Actress and businesswoman, Ini Edo, who has featured in over 100 films since the start of her career has a whopping 12.7 million followers. She has also worked with the United Nations on her more humanitarian endevours.
Mercy Johnson (12.9 million followers)
Mercy Johnson is nothing short of Nollywood royalty. Starring in more than 30 films since the start of career, she has made herself a household name. On Instagram, she shares photos of her beautiful family and content she makes herself.
Don Jazzy (13.8 million followers)
Distinguished producer, Don Jazzy being on this list does not come as a surprise to anyone. His knack for finding, managing, and mentoring new talent has also given him a big following on both Twitter and Instagram. He is also known to be generous, giving when he can and promoting other people’s businesses or talents. The record producer is also funny, making and sharing skits now and then.
Wizkid (15 million followers)
Grammy award winning artist, Wizkid, is fifth on the list. Since the beginning of his career, Wizkid has grown steadily from a local fan base to a global one. He has also formed good relationships with Drake, Chris Brown, and Beyonce to name a few.
Tiwa Savage (15.3 million followers)
Tiwa Savage has been in the music industry for over two decades, properly entering the limelight in 2006 in the UK edition of X Factor. With five studio albums and EPs and over 100 songs, Tiwa Savage is considered to be a powerhouse in afro-beats. She even received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, the University of Kent.
Funke Akindele (15.5 million followers)
Nollywood actor, Funke Akindele is the third most followed Nigerian on Instagram. However, she has put her acting career on hold and has become the running mate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Lagos State governorship candidate, Olajide Adediran. She joins a small but interesting number of actor-turned-politician.
Yemi Alade (17 million followers)
With a following of 17 million, Yemi Alade has a global fanbase. Nicknamed ‘Mama Africa’, Yemi Alade is considered one of Africa’s biggest artists.
Davido (24.7 million followers)
At the top of the list is rapper and entertainer, Davido. He has been the most followed Nigerian for five years in a row.
