Peace Anyiam-Osigwe
MFR (previously Peace Anyiam-Fiberesima; 30 March 1969 – 9 January 2023) was a Nigerian filmmaker and entertainment executive who was called "the queen of Nollywood films".
She was the founder of globally acclaimed film ceremony,
Africa Movie Academy Awards. ''
The Guardian'' documents that she pioneered the screening of
Nollywood films at international film festivals.
She directed the first music video of hip-hop sensation,
P-Square.
In 2012, she was bestowed a
Member of the Order of the Federal Republic
The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger.
The highest honours where the Grand Commander in the Order of the Federal Rep ...
by the Nigerian government for her contribution to the entertainment industry.
She was also a
TED fellow.
Early life
Anyiam-Osigwe was born on 30 March.
She is from the notable Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe family in
Nkwerre
Nkwerre is one of the Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Areas in Imo State, South-East, Nigeria. It is situated in Nkwerre town where the name of the local government area was derived. Its population was placed at 80,270 from the ...
,
Imo State
Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...
. She is the only girl in a family of eight children.
She has a degree in Law and political science from
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University (formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic (United Kingdom), Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and High ...
.
Career
Africa Movie Academy Awards
Anyiam-Osigwe founded the
Africa Film Academy, a body that governs the
film ceremony since 2005. The award ceremony is reputed to be one of the most recognized awards for Africans in film-making. At the
10th edition
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, she stepped down as CEO of the AMAAs. In 2015, she began the AfricaOne initiative to commemorate Africans in the entertainment industry.
In 2020, she emerged as the National President of The Association of Movie Producers (AMP). This made her the seventh to hold that post succeeding Mr. Ralph Nwadike.
Anyiam Osigwe was the Initiator of 100 films project aimed at improving the quality of films produced in Nigeria.
As the President, she worked on building capacity of film producers in the country through seminars and trainings.
Writing career
Anyiam-Osigwe was an author of written poetry. She had three books to her credit.
In an interview with Alana Herro, she described poetry as one of the avenues for expressing her perception and understanding of things around her.
Prior to entering the university, she published a magazine, ''Clicks'', specifically written to accommodate the black population in England. Her works are centered on advocacy causes.
Television and film director
Anyiam-Osigwe career on television began with her discussion show, ''Piece off my mind'', that focuses on people's reaction to societal issues that are not regularly seen in the mainstream media.
Her talk show was centered on issues of advocacy for individuals that the society usually give little attention or neglected.
She cited the African caste system, child trafficking and women equality as areas of interest to her in film and television.
At the early stage of music duo,
P-Square career, Anyiam-Osigwe was responsible for managing them.
In 2016, she stated that she represents
Somkele Iyamah.
Personal life and death
Her brother, Michael, who was killed in 2014 was the coordinator general of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, a non-profit organization that gives back to the Nigerian society.
He was also director, Africa Institute for Leadership Research and Development and the consul general of Malawi to Nigeria.
Her mother, Dorothy Chinyere Anyiam-Osigwe is a recipient of the
Officer of the Order of the Niger
Nigeria became an independent country on 1 October 1960 and in 1963 became the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The republic instituted two orders of merit: the Order of the Niger and the Order of the Federal Republic.
Award
The two highest honour ...
honour by the then president,
Olusegun Obasanjo for her philanthropic activities in Nigeria.
She is separated from her husband.
Anyiam-Osigwe was in a
coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...
since 7 January 2023, and died at St. Nicholas Hospital in
Lagos on 9 January, at the age of 53.
Awards
In 2019, she was honoured with African Film Pioneer Award at the African Film Festival,TAFF.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anyiam-Osigwe, Peace
1969 births
2023 deaths
Members of the Order of the Federal Republic
People from Imo State
Nigerian film producers
Nigerian film directors
Nigerian women film directors
Nigerian women film producers
TED Fellows
Alumni of Oxford Brookes University
Nigerian women writers
Nigerian chief executives
Nigerian media personalities