Encyclopaedia Africana

Arts and Culture

  • 2 Min Read

Prince Nico Mbarga (January 1, 1950 – June 24, 1997) was a celebrated Cameroonian-Nigerian highlife musician and songwriter, best known for his timeless hit Sweet...

  • 3 Min Read

Christopher Okigbo (August 16, 1932 – September 1967) was a celebrated Nigerian poet, scholar, and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most original and...

  • 2 Min Read

Hubert Ogunde (July 10, 1916 – April 4, 1990) was a pioneering Nigerian dramatist, actor, composer, and theatre manager, widely regarded as the “Father of...

  • 2 Min Read

Aina Onabolu (September 13, 1882 – February 3, 1963) was a Nigerian painter and art educator widely regarded as the father of modern Nigerian art....

  • 3 Min Read

Winston Mankunku Ngozi (June 21, 1943 – October 13, 2009) was a South African tenor saxophonist and composer widely regarded as one of the most...

  • 3 Min Read

John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo (April 6, 1940 – October 13, 2020), widely known as J. P. Clark, was a distinguished Nigerian poet, playwright, and literary scholar....

  • 3 Min Read

Tony Oladipo Allen (July 20, 1940 – April 30, 2020) was a pioneering Nigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter widely regarded as one of the principal...

  • 3 Min Read

Efo Kodjo Mawugbe (April 21, 1954 – September 14, 2011) Efo Kodjo Mawugbe was a renowned Ghanaian playwright celebrated for his ability to weave traditional...

  • 2 Min Read

Ama Ata Aidoo (March 23, 1942 – May 31, 2023) was a foundational figure in modern African literature who transformed the global literary landscape by centering...

  • 3 Min Read

Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, recording artist, and cultural ambassador widely regarded as the father of...

Editor’s Note

This website features a collection of articles largely from previously published volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana, specifically the Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography, which highlights notable individuals from various regions of Africa. Please note that in these volumes, some names of people, towns, and countries were spelled differently than they are today. We have retained these historical spellings to preserve the integrity of the original publications. In some instances, the current spellings are also provided for easy reference.
Please report errors to: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com / research@encyclopaediaafricana.com

Support Encyclopaedia Africana

Help us create more content and preserve African knowledge. Your donation makes a difference! [Donate Now]

Working Hours

8:00am–4:30pm, Monday-Friday

Office Location

Campus of CSIR Airport Residential Area, Accra-Ghana

The Encyclopaedia Africana Project is an AU Flagship Project with the mission to produce and publish peer reviewed articles devoted mainly to Africa and its people.

Encyclopaedia Africana