Okey Bakassi

Okey Bakassi Biography / Profile

Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule (populary known as Okey Bakassi) was born on October 23rd, 1969 in Owerri, Imo State to Mr. Livinus Onyegbule, a retired military personnel and Mrs. Felicia Onyegbule, a nurse. Okey is a Nigerian stand-up comedian and actor.

Okey Bakassi Age

Okey Bakassi is 55 years old.

Okey Bakassi Early Life

Originally from Mbaise, a small town in Imo State Okey grew up in Owerri where he completed his primary school education at the Alvan Ikoku Demonstration School and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. After completing his primary school education, he proceeded to Mbaise Secondary School in Imo State, Nigeria where he studied briefly before moving to Federal Government College, Port Harcourt in Rivers State where he obtained his West African Senior School Certificate.

Thereafter, Okey proceeded to Rivers State University of Science and Technology in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1992. He was then deployed to Lagos State for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Programme.

Okey Bakassi Career

Okey's desire was to study Theatre Arts, but for the fact that the school he got admitted into (Rivers State University of Science and Technology) did not offer Theatre Arts at the time, he decided to settle for Agricultural Engineering. While in the university, he and some other students who had the same passion and interests came together to form a group known as “Theatre Kolleagues” for the purpose of acting and entertaining the university community.

While in Lagos for his NYSC programme, Okey was posted to Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB) where he worked at the Project Resuscitation Department. Thereafter, he met with popular movie producer and director, Zeb Ejiro, who in 1993 gave him his first opportunity to appear on a network television production “Fortunes” where he played the role of “Nick” one of the Johnson’s bodyguards. Okey featured in about eleven episodes of the soap opera “Fortunes” before the Nigerian movie industry (Nollywood) was given birth to and took the centre stage.

Considering his experience both as an actor and stand-up comedian at Rivers State University of Science and Technology and coupled with experience garnered during his service year as a member of the Lagos State drama troupe it was only natural for him to want to carry on in that direction as a career. He has featured in several international comedy shows both home and abroad and has acted in several Nollywood movies before focusing his career fully on stand-up comedy. In 2014, he won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) category at the 2014 edition of the Best of Nollywood Awards for his role in the film “Onye Ozi”.

Okey is currently fully involved in comedy and has featured in several comedy skits and has entertained many people on different stages across the length and breadth of the country as he got a new appellation for stand-up comedy. In a bid to make the entertainment in general and stand-up comedy in particular more popular, Okey in 1995 collaborated with Opa Williams and Nollywood actress Reginald Ebere, sat down together to fashioned out a way forward. That idea gave birth to “Night of a Thousand Laughs” a stand-up comedy show hosted in different part of Nigeria.

He currently hosts a daily comedy show on Lagos Talks 91.3fm called "It's Okay with Okey" alongside other comedians like Acapella, Senator Comedian and Dan de Humorous. He also hosts a programme called "The Other News" on Channels TV. On April 22nd, 2018 he celebrated 25years in the comedian industry.

Okey Bakassi Personal Life

Okey has been married to his wife, Ezinne, for 17years and together they have three children - two girls and a boy. His family stays in Canada where his wife completed her education and currently works. He is currently one of the richest and most influential comedian in Nigeria with an estimated net worth of $5 million.

Okey Bakassi Awards

Okey has won so many awards which include Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Best of Nollywood Awards, Best Actor in Comedy at the Africa Movie Academy Awards and African Best Comedian of the Year at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards.