Nigeria’s entertainment industry has produced many comedians, actors and television personalities, but only a few have successfully built careers that span several decades. Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule, popularly known as Okey Bakassi, is one of those entertainers.
From university stage performances to stand-up comedy, Nollywood, television hosting and major entertainment events, Okey Bakassi has remained a familiar face in Nigerian entertainment for more than three decades.
In September 2026, the veteran entertainer also celebrated another important milestone 25 years of marriage to his wife, Ezinne “Zizi” Bakassi. The couple got married on September 1, 2001, in Port Harcourt, after first meeting in 1988. They have three children.
๐ญ Who Is Okey Bakassi?
Okey Bakassi was born Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule on October 23, 1969, in Imo State. He studied engineering at Rivers State University of Science and Technology in Port Harcourt.
Interestingly, comedy was not originally planned as his career.
During his university years, he became involved with a student performance group known as Theatre Kolleagues, where he participated in acting and entertainment. What started as an interest gradually developed into a professional career.
After his National Youth Service in Lagos, Bakassi chose entertainment over pursuing a conventional engineering career.
That decision eventually introduced him to acting, stand-up comedy, television and event hosting.
๐ Okey Bakassi and Nigerian Comedy
Okey Bakassi became one of the personalities associated with the development of modern Nigerian stand-up comedy.
His career included performances at major comedy shows and collaborations with other pioneers of Nigeria's comedy scene.
One of the major entertainment projects connected with his career was A Nite of a Thousand Laughs, a popular stand-up comedy show that travelled to different parts of Nigeria. Bakassi was among the personalities involved in the initiative alongside Opa Williams and Reginald Ebere.
For Bakassi, comedy has never simply been about telling jokes. In a 2026 interview, he described his work more broadly as entertainment involving stand-up comedy, acting and public speaking.
He has also described stand-up comedy as particularly demanding because the comedian has to connect directly with a live audience without the safety net available in film or television.
๐ฌ Okey Bakassi in Nollywood
Bakassi's entertainment career also extends deeply into Nigerian film and television.
One of his early television opportunities came in 1993, when producer and director Zeb Ejiro gave him a role in the television production Fortunes. He played Nick, one of the Johnson family's bodyguards.
He later appeared in and worked on several movie projects, including films such as Final Decision and All for Winnie.
One of his most notable acting achievements came with the movie Onye Ozi, which earned him the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the 2014 Best of Nollywood Awards. His own website also identifies this as one of his major career achievements.
๐ Okey Bakassi's Awards and Honours
Over the course of his career, Okey Bakassi has received recognition for both his acting and comedy.
Some of the documented honours associated with his career include:
- ๐ Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) Best of Nollywood Awards, 2014, for Onye Ozi.
- ๐ Best Actor in Comedy Africa Movie Academy Awards, according to biographical records.
- ๐ African Best Comedian of the Year Nigerian Entertainment Awards, according to biographical records.
These recognitions reflect the two major sides of his entertainment career: comedy and acting.
๐ค Okey Bakassi's Entertainment Events and Shows
Beyond movies, Okey Bakassi has been involved in several forms of entertainment and live performance.
๐ A Nite of a Thousand Laughs
A Nite of a Thousand Laughs became one of the notable comedy platforms associated with Nigeria's stand-up comedy boom.
The event brought comedians together before live audiences across different Nigerian cities and helped create a larger platform for professional stand-up comedy. Bakassi was among the entertainers involved in developing the concept.
๐️ The Other News
Okey Bakassi has also worked in television and current-affairs entertainment.
His official website archives episodes of The Other News, a satirical programme where he hosted conversations with entertainers, public figures and political personalities.
Archived episodes include appearances and discussions involving Basketmouth, Frank Donga, Dayo Adeneye, Charles O'Tudor and other guests.
The programme demonstrated another side of Bakassi's talent combining comedy, interviews, commentary and social issues.
๐ From Comedy Stage to Traditional Leadership
Okey Bakassi's story has taken an unexpected turn in recent years.
The entertainer was selected to become the traditional ruler of Umuihuocha Obohia Autonomous Community in Ahiazu Mbaise, Imo State, taking the traditional title Okwe II. In 2026, he spoke about balancing his entertainment career with his responsibilities as a community leader.
This means that the man many Nigerians know from comedy stages and television now has another responsibility — serving his community in a traditional leadership capacity.
Rather than viewing the new role as an end to his entertainment career, Bakassi has described it as another stage of his life.
๐ 25 Years of Marriage to Ezinne Bakassi
Away from the microphones, movie sets and comedy stages, Okey Bakassi has also built a long-standing family life.
He and his wife, Ezinne, first met in 1988 in Port Harcourt. Their relationship later went through a period of separation while they pursued higher education before they eventually reunited.
On September 1, 2001, they exchanged marital vows in Port Harcourt.
Twenty-five years later, in 2026, Bakassi celebrated their silver wedding anniversary with his wife and their three children. He publicly thanked his wife for her love, support, sacrifices and belief in him throughout their journey together.
The anniversary celebration has also provided another opportunity for friends, colleagues and fans to celebrate the entertainer's personal journey.
๐ A Special Celebration in Ontario
The anniversary celebration highlighted not only the couple's 25-year journey but also the affection and respect Okey Bakassi has built among friends and colleagues within the Nigerian entertainment community.
The celebration in Ontario featured entertainment personalities, comedy and event hosting, adding music, laughter and celebration to the silver-jubilee milestone.
For an entertainer whose career has been built around making people laugh, it is fitting that such an important family milestone would also be surrounded by friends, entertainment and plenty of good memories. ๐๐
๐ More Than a Comedian
Calling Okey Bakassi simply a comedian does not tell the whole story.
He is an actor, stand-up comedian, television personality, presenter, public speaker and entertainer, with a career that has crossed different generations of Nigerian entertainment.
Today, his story has expanded again from university theatre and comedy stages to Nollywood, television, major entertainment events and traditional leadership.
And while the entertainment industry continues to evolve, Okey Bakassi remains one of the familiar names from the generation that helped give Nigerian comedy a stronger professional identity.
As he celebrates 25 years of marriage, the occasion is not just another celebrity celebration. It is another chapter in the story of an entertainer whose professional journey has lasted more than three decades and whose personal journey has included family, friendship, career, community and culture. ❤️๐ณ๐ฌ
Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary to Okey Bakassi and Ezinne “Zizi” Bakassi. ๐๐ฅ
May the laughter, love and memories continue for many more years.
๐ฅ Related Topics
- Nigerian Comedy Legends
- Okey Bakassi Movies and Career
- Nollywood Actors and Comedians
- Nigerian Entertainment Events
- A Nite of a Thousand Laughs
- Nigerian Comedy History
- Okey Bakassi and Ezinne Bakassi
- Imo State Entertainment Icons
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