The talented Kenyan actress, who won her Oscar for her part of Patsey in the celebrated period memoir and Best Picture winner "12 Years a Slave", had her first professional acting role in a HIV and AIDS awareness drama, Shuga. Shot in Kenya by MTV Base and the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, Shuga starred Nyong'o in the role of Ayira, a confident and vivacious Nairobi college student who is forced to come to terms with the consequences of her reckless lifestyle.
To mark Nyong'o's achievement as the first ever black African woman to win an Oscar, MTV Base is running news items across all its media platforms, while the Shuga TV series will be available to view on the MTV Base website.
Commented Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa, "As a brand that has dedicated itself to promoting and pushing African talent both in Africa and internationally, MTV Base is delighted that Lupita is enjoying such success and critical acclaim. Her win provides young Africans with an inspiring role model who shows them that anything and everything is possible."
For further information on Shuga or MTV Base, please go to www.mtvbase.com or www.shuga.tv
