Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, has disclosed that veteran actor Zack Orji recently underwent brain surgery.
Orji, a renowned figure in the Nigerian film industry, had collapsed on December 29 and was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit of the National Hospital in Abuja.
On Tuesday, Musawa, accompanied by Remi Tinubu, the First Lady, and Nana Shettima, the wife of the Vice President, paid a visit to the ailing actor at the hospital.
In a statement shared by Nneka Anibeze, the minister’s spokesperson, Musawa expressed her prayers for Orji’s recovery and called for collective support for the beloved movie star.
“We solicit the collective prayers of Nigerians because he is like a part of our families,” the statement reads. “We have watched him entertain us, and we see him as a national treasure. So, the best we can do is to ensure that we support him to have the best treatment.”
Musawa acknowledged Zack Orji’s significant contributions to the movie industry, describing him as a “national asset” and one of the individuals who laid the foundation for Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.
“He is one of the individuals who laid the foundation for Nollywood and the film industry in Nigeria, but now he is sick, and the least we can do as an administration is to give him all the necessary support through prayers and otherwise to ensure that we save his life,” Musawa added.
The minister’s visit comes amid updates from Abubakar Yakubu, the National Secretary of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), stating that Zack Orji’s condition has shown signs of improvement.
