Biography of Teni


Teniola Apata popularly known by her stage name -Teni Makanaki or simply Teni is a multi talented, award winning Nigerian singer, songwriter and entertainer. She is one of the fast rising artists breaking new grounds in the Nigerian music industry.

Early life and background of Teni

Born on the 12th of December, 1992 to Mr and Mrs Apata in Lagos, Nigeria. She’s the 9th of 10 children. Her father was a retired Brigadier General before he was assassinated in 1995 when Teni was just 2years old. She hails from Ekiti state and is the younger sister of popular songstress, Niniola. Teni Makanaki completed her elementary education at Apata Memorial High School, a school owned by her late father in Lagos. She proceeded to American Intercontinental University in the United States of America and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Her love for music began at an early age of 2. As a child, she was in the school band, where she played the drums. Also, as a child, she and her siblings weren’t allowed to go out, so they always stayed in the corridor singing on top of their voices.

Teni and her siblings

Teni’s Music Career

Teni commenced her music career in 2016 after she moved back to Nigeria. She started with her freestyles on Instagram, but came into limelight with her hit single, ‘Fargin‘. The song was widely accepted by Nigerian music lovers especially because of the powerful lyrics it came with. She was initially signed to Shizzi’s Magic Fingers Records. Her debut single “Amen” was released under the record label. In 2017, She left the record label and signed with Dr. Dolor Entertainment. She has worked with artiste like Shizzi, Phyno, Davido and many other artists. She got her big break after releasing the hit singles ” Askamaya“, “Case” and “Uyo Meyo“. “Askamaya” was ranked 15th on MTV Base’s year-end list of the Top 20 Hottest Naija Tracks of 2018.

NotjustOk ranked her eighth on its list of the 10 Hottest Artists In Nigeria. She was listed on Premium Times’ list of the Six Nigerian breakout stars, viral sensations of 2018. On 20 February 2019, Teni was featured on YouTube Music’s Trending Artist on the Rise. On May 3, 2019, she released the video for “Sugar Mummy“. On June 14, 2019, she released a new single titled “Power Rangers“.
Teni is an ambassador for Wema Bank, Budweiser beer, Tom Tom, Pepsi Naija and Tecno mobile.

Teni’s Relationship

There was speculations that she and Wizkid were an item. In an interview, she said her primary focus was on music; however, she would like to have a family of her own.

Awards and nominations

In 2018, Teni won Rookie of the Year at the Headies Awards, and Most Promising Act to watch at the 2018 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. She also won the Best New Artist award at the Soundcity MVP Awards Festival – 2018.

Teni’s Net Worth

According to a number of online sources, Teniola Apata’s net worth is evaluated to be $300,000 ((around ₦108.5M).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *