Niniola Apata, better known by her stage name Niniola, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter.
Widely known as Nigeria’s Queen of Afrohouse, Niniola has experienced immense growth in her career over the years.
Here are a few interesting facts you should know about her.
1. Niniola was born on December 15, 1986, in Lagos State.
2. She is a native of Ekiti State.
3. Her late father, (RTD) Brigadier-General Simeon Olaosebikan Apata, founded Apata Memorial High School in 1980. He was assassinated in 1995.
4. She had her primary and secondary school education at Apata Memorial High School.
5. She is a graduate of the University of Lagos, where she bagged a bachelor’s degree in education.
6. She competed in Season 6 of Project Fame West Africa, where she placed 3rd Runner-Up.
7. Niniola is the older sister of Teni the Entertainer.
8. She released her first single ‘Ibadi’ in 2014, which received massive airplay in Nigeria.
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9. She was nominated in the “Most Promising Act to Watch” category at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
10. In 2017, Niniola went on to release another single titled ‘MARADONA,’ which went on to become a global hit and got her recognition from international acts like Drake.
11. The hit song ‘MARADONA’ earned Niniola a BET Awards (Viewers’ Choice Best International Act Category) and a SAMA nomination in 2018.
12. On 7th August 2018, she became the first female Nigerian artist to cross 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
13. On Friday, the 9th of November 2018, Niniola headlined her first-ever concert, “The Human Radio“.
14. She has won many awards; some of them include Best African Collaboration for “Mbilo Mbilo” (Remix) at the All African Music Awards (AFRIMA) in 2016, Female Vocalist of the Year, Nigeria Teens Awards 2017, Youth Artist of the Year at Maya Awards, and Person of the Year, Glazia Awards, both in 2018. She also won Best Female Act, Ghana-Naija Showbiz Awards in 2018.
15. Her song, Maradona, was featured on Beyoncé’s Lion King album on the track ‘Find Your Way Back.’
16. Niniola describes her style of music as “Afro-House”, a blend of Afrobeat and house music with lyrics mostly written in Yoruba.
17. She is involved in several projects, including the scholarship program, which started in June 2015, and the “Adopt-A-Child-Education” project.
