The Nigerian creative industry is mourning the passing of Lari Williams, a multi-talented creative who died onSunday, February 27, 2022.
A family statement said he died peacefully on Sunday at his home in Ikom, Cross River State.
Williams, an actor, lecturer, musician, playwright, newspaper columnist and former boxing champion studied journalism at the London School of Journalism before delving into acting while studying English at the Morley College in the UK.
He released his first feature-length play, ‘Colanut Junction’, in 1971, featuring other veterans like Olu Jacobs, Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett and Taiwo Jegede, among others. He was also one of the lead characters in Nigeria’s iconic drama series ‘Village Headmaster’, which dominated the TV screens in the 1980s.
As a teenager growing up in Lagos, Williams was trained by Nigeria’s first world boxing champion, Hogan Bassey, and won the ABA bantam-weight Boxing Champion at Olowogbowo Boy’s Club.
Williams was the running mate of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti when he declared to run for President under his political party – Movement of the People, in 1983.
In 2016, Williams won N1 million to take care of his failing health on ‘Who Deserves To Be A Millionaire’, a special edition of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ show sponsored by MTN. He said winning N1m on the show ‘made me see how good Nigerians and some corporate bodies can be.’
