Banky W, family relocate to America, gives reasons

On Tuesday, Nigerian R&B singer Olubankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, announced he was relocating to the United States of America. The award-winning singer joins the long list of Nigerian celebrities who have relocated to the US recently, including Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Doris Simeon, Adekunle Gold and Femi Brainard.

In a post he shared on Instagram on Tuesday, the artiste cum politician expressed his reasons for leaving the country, citing a desire to further his education.

The singer, who had earlier intimated to his fans his desire to study for a master’s in the US in July, wrote, “For family. For faith. For finding purpose. For the next year, I earned a master’s in Policy Management at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Wish us well.”

In the same post, he shared pictures of himself, his wife, actress Adesuwa, and their son, Hazaiah, before departing for the airport.

The couple wedded in 2017 at an elaborate wedding in Cape Town, South Africa, and had Hazaiah, their son, in 2021.

Mrs Adesua Etomi-wellington, reacting to the post, wrote: “Home is wherever you are. ❤️❤️❤️”

American ties

The singer-songwriter’s background spans across Nigeria and the United States.

The 43-year-old was born in the U.S. but attended primary and secondary school in Lagos. He returned to the U.S. on a scholarship to complete his University degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York.

His wife, Adesuwa Etomi-Wellington, 36, has also lived and studied in the United Kingdom and the United States.

She attended Bristol University in England and Columbia Business School in the US.

Banky co-founded the record label Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) in 2002 while still studying on a scholarship at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. Later in 2009, after returning to Nigeria, he dropped Ebute Metta, inspired by the instrumentals of Rihanna’s 2007 hit, Umbrella.

He signed Wizkid, Skales and Niniola to his label in 2009.

In addition to his music career, Banky W delved into politics in 2018. He announced his intention to run for the Lagos’ Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat in Nigeria’s House of Representatives on the platform of the Modern Democratic Party.

Although he lost the 2019 election to Babajide Obanikoro of the All Progressive Congress, the singer contested again in 2023 under the flagship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and lost to Atah Thaddeus of the Labour Party.