President Muhammadu Buhari has conferred 339 noteworthy Nigerians with national awards as he exits his office.
The list includes three Nigerian filmmakers - Kunle Afolayan, Charles Opaleke and Ayodeji Richard Makun, better known as A.Y.
Afolayan and Opaleke have been awarded the Officer Of The Order of The Niger (OON) for their contributions to the country's development while AY has been honored with the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Afolayan is one of the biggest filmmakers in Nollywood with several awardwinning movies including Figurine, October 1, and Anikulapo, which recently won the Best Overall Movie at the ninth edition of the 023 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA).
Okpaleke is a film producer whose impressive catalogue includes Living in Bondage: Breaking Free, which received seven AMVCAs. He is also the founder of Play Network Africa.
A.Y stands out as one of the biggest names in the comedy and filmmaking industry. His movies are some of highest grossing Nollywood films at the box office.
All the award recipients have been asked to send a soft copy of their citation or resume to the ministry before May 31, 2023.
Reportedly, the ministry also expects the recipients to be physically present for the collection of their medals and certificates scheduled for June 1, 2023.