Photos: Meet Hakeem Onilogbo, Nigeria’s Unusual Makeup Artist

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Hakeem Onilogbo is the 38 year old CEO of Hakeem Effects, aka Tricks International, a special FX and prosthetics company servicing many Nollywood productions in Nigeria. Based in Lagos, Hakeem was born in Ibadan, where he attended the Egba Comprehensive High School. From simple make-up retouching to elaborate creature-features, Hakeem Effects talks new development in Nollywood.

 

 

 

In Africa we have great screenwriters and stories to tell, but these stories do not complete themselves through mere acting alone. Special effects makeup enhances them. The lack of these effects have always been affecting our screen writers. It limits their writing skills and sometimes make the movies flop. This is one huge difference between global film makers and African film makers. Hakeem’s brand, Hakeem Effect Concept under the management body of Tricks International, is a brand that is currently changing the face of the African movie industry through creative developments in special effects makeup.

He started the trade 8 years ago with the Yoruba film making genre of Nollywood. Initially, he had wanted to be an actor. He did not have any formal training nor mentors but he invested in the make-up art talents. He realized that he could do replica of anything he sees without being taught.