Wale Fanu, filmmaker who defied sickle cell, dies at 72

Wale Fanu, the ace Nigerian filmmaker, has passed away at the age of 72.

Fanu, who was the managing director of Cinekraft, a film production company, was a sickle cell carrier during his days on earth.

According to Jide Bisayo, one of his associates, who announced his death on his Facebook page, Fanu contributed “enormously to the growth of the Nigerian film industry.”

“In the beginning, while Nollywood was still an embryo, there was Cinekraft. Cinekraft in no small way contributed to the birthing of the nascent industry,” he wrote.

“Behind Cinekraft administration and production management was one indefatigable, never tiring creative soul, my boss, Wale Fanu. Uncle Wales (as I like calling you), rest in the bosom of the Lord. A titan has gone home indeed.”

Fanu died on June 10, although the specific cause of death is yet to be known — as of the time of this report.

In a 2018 interview, Fanu said being a carrier of “sickle cell is not a curse.”

He said a doctor had informed his mother that he would not live to the age of 21.