Nollywood icon Bukky Ajayi has died a day after her 82nd birthday, family members announced in Lagos on Wednesday.

Her death drew the curtain on an eventful career that culminated in her being awarded the 2016 AMVCA Industry Merit Award. AMVCA stands for African Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

The Industry Merit Award was given to the late diva alongside another veteran actor, Sadiq Daba, for their contributions towards the growth of the Nollywood.

A standing ovation greeted the announcement of the paralysed 82-year-old actress as she was wheeled to the stage to receive her award in the night of March 5 at the upscale Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

With tears rolling her cheeks, the octogenarian actress pleaded with anyone she may have offended to forgive her just as she had forgiven anyone that had offended her. Her speech was emotional as silence enveloped the hall while it lasted.

Bukky Ajayi was born a Christian but converted to Islam in the early eighties and chose the name Zainab.

Her love for the theatre started as a young girl when her father used to take her to the cinemas.

She used to tell her dad that one day she’s going to be like one of those actresses, but unfortunately he never lived to see her become an actress.

When she was a very young girl, her interest for acting was so much that she used to do a cardboard sort of cinema for children, and used to charge them half a penny to come and watch.

Later, the opportunity came for her to study in England. She was abroad for six years, as a Federal government scholar.

She left England and came back to Nigeria after her education in 1965 and started out working in Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) as a presentation assistant in 1966.

Afterwards, she became a presenter and then a news reader.

She presented a couple of children’s programmes and ‘Nigerian’s Sketches’, a programme which was all about Nigerian culture, and Diran Ajijedidun of blessed memory was her producer.

She was later transferred to Port Harcourt and later back to Lagos, and it was at that time she started her acting career.

She started with the ‘Village Headmaster’ in the 70s, and she later got a role in Amaka Igwe’s ‘Checkmate.’

She has featured in so many home videos that she has lost count.

•Background material from Thenet.ng. Photo shows late Bukky Ajayi.

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