1st January, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nollywood actress, Moyo Lawal was the most trended personality searched by Nigerians on Google in 2023, even ahead of Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate during the last election.
Statistics released by Google showed that Lawal topped the chat as the most trended personality searched by Nigerians in 2023, while Obi was second.
Lawal achieved the feat after her leaked private video hit the social media on 9 September, 2023.
The bedroom tape of the actress went viral on social media as tongues started wagging. The leaked take eclipsed Obi’s popularity in 2023 which saw him coming third in the February, 2023 presidential election.
In the trended video, the actress was captured in an intimate moment with her lover. Lawal could be seen in her ‘birthday suit’ while enjoying some fun time with her lover, who was recording their escapade.
However, Obi was named second most trended personality searched by Nigerians on Google in 2023. The reason being the presidential election where the youths queued behind him, but he lost the election. His popularity has nose-dived since he lost the election.
The third most trended personality searched by Nigerians on Google was Oladips. News surfaced on November 14 that the ‘Chache’ crooner Oladipupo Oladimeji, aka Oladips, had died following an ailment he battled with for two years.
The story was everywhere on social media, but it turned out to be false. Abdulrasheed Opeyemi, the personal assistant of Nigerian rapper said Oladips died for three days before he came back to life.
The fourth most trended personality searched by Nigerians was Hilda Baci, who set a new Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes in June 2023.
Baci’s record has since been eclipsed by Alan Fisher from Ireland, who cooked for an incredible 119 hours and 57 minutes at his restaurant in Japan.
Mykhailo Mudryk is the 5th personality that Nigerians searched for on Google in 2023. His move to Chelsea prompted Nigerians to want to know more about him.
Actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu is the sixth most trended personality searched by Nigerians on Google in 2023. Mr. Ibu’s sickness which led to the amputation of one of his legs set the internet on fire. The intrigues surrounding how the money donated for him were spent also fuelled internet reactions.
Simon Ekpa, a Biafran agitator in Finland is the 7th most trended personality searched by Nigerians in 2023. Ekpa, from his base in Finland had been directing most sit-at-home in the Southeast following the arrest of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Ekpa is on the wanted list of the Nigerian government.
Lagos socialite, Sam Larry is the 8th most trended personality searched by Nigerians on Google. Immediately after Mohbad’s death, Sam Larry began to trended. He was fingered in the death of Mohbad. He was arrested and detained by the police along with Naira Marley. He has since been released.
Anita Brown is the 9th most searched personality by Nigerians on Google. Her supposed romance with Davido as another ‘Baby Mama’ set internet on fire. She even showed a growing pregnancy bump that kept social media on fire.
Esther Raphael is the 10th most searched personality on Googles by Nigerians. Raphael, also known as “The Buba Girl,” is a famous TikTok star, dancer, and social media influencer. She has gained popularity as a vibrant and captivating TikTok star within the dynamic realm of social media, dancing on her TikTok account.