Actresses From Nigeria

"I’ve learnt that you should never wait for people to help you to become successful."

"Once a magazine cover says ‘yellow’ girls are fine or curvy girls are sexy, that becomes the trend and everybody starts tilting in that direction. That’s where body-shaming starts from. But the truth is that God made every individual differently and there is beauty in everybody."

"The important message is that people should not think that having a wealthy father makes one’s career easy. It is not easy for anybody. One has to be talented and hard-working. I know that one day people would start seeing that this is what I’m good at"

"There are times that we need to up our games as actors, producers and other professions in the film making industry; we need to be professional and do things right. The fault in our movies did not just happen because we lack money, they also come with the way we handle things as professionals, though, money is also a big factor.There are other things that are attached to film making which we need to look at to move the industry forward"

"Broadcasting has given me confidence. It helped me with my theatre and acting. This is because when you are in broadcasting, you have to be very expressive with just your voice; nobody can see your face. So, it actually helped me with my voice patterns"

"You mustn’t be scared of what people are going to say because it is not your fault. I got a lot of snide remarks when I revealed my experience; some people said I was looking for attention. Meanwhile, it is because of talks like that, that many victims don’t report rape incidents. I wish everybody has a strong family like mine because I had people I could lean on. Unfortunately, not everybody has that kind of support system. Nevertheless, they need to find strength within themselves; otherwise, rapists would keep getting away with the dastardly act without any repercussion"

"As soon as the abuse starts. When a man gives you a heavy slap and he says I am sorry, and then the next week he repeats it and says he is sorry , it is time to flee. If my man slaps me once I will take it as ‘okay, it could be his five minutes of madness’. Everybody is allowed that. But if it happens again, then it is probably in his DNA and it is all over. We all have our different situations and that is why I say to girls, use your brains and not your breasts. Go to school, be independent. Whether you are married or not, have your own thing going because a lot of women stay in abusive relationships because they have nowhere else to go. If they leave their husbands, children’s school fees will not be paid and there will be no food in the house and they can’t fend for themselves. So when you have 23-inch waist and 46 inch ‘yansh’ and there is one guy toasting you and he has all the money in the world, beware! That is not what it is all about. Because for every 23 inch waist, there is a 24 and when that man gets bored and if he is abusive, you are in big trouble. So go to school, be independent, your own woman. If you meet a good man, thank God, but if perchance you meet a monster, move on before you are killed."

"Start with your mind. Your mind has to be in the right place. Like I said, there is no easy way to losing weight. Even if you decide that you want to go for surgery, it is not easy. So your mind has to be made up. Then your lifestyle is very important because some people spend all day sitting at a desk. Those that sit at the desk are not using up energy at all, so your lifestyle is important. And the time you eat at night is also important. You don’t have to eat late. You must eat your last meal around 7pm. I think you shouldn’t deprive yourself of anything"

"As far as character is concerned, honesty is important no matter how much you have, if you made your money dis-honestly I no fit follow you. For instance, if you are doing 419, it won’t happen. Honesty in your relationship is important. I always tell guys, maybe they think I am joking. Try and be open. If you have been messing around as a guy, tell me. If for instance you play away match and carry something, tell me; don’t hide it and don’t deprive me of sex because you know you have something because I will begin to worry you about myself. ‘Is it that this guy does not love me anymore?’ Just tell me ‘babe, I mess up-o, see wetin happen.’ I would say ‘oya come, make we go see doctor first, let us go and look at the case’ and after that we can talk about it because what I need from a man is a best friend. You have to be my best friend and in order for that to happen you have to be open and honest with me so we understand each other. So if for instance I am dating you now and someone sees you with a girl and then she comes to me and says ‘I saw Tony the other day with a chick, I would say ‘yes, she was wearing a short red mini skirt, high heels, her hair was dread locked, any problem?’ I don’t like people being involved in my relationship but please, don’t make me look stupid so tell me first so I go know how to arrange myself when those wicked people that want to spoil the matter come around. Generosity is very important."

"Why not? Do you jump into bed with just anybody. I am not saying I am celibate for religious reasons. You don’t just jump into bed with just anybody but if I meet a nice person, why not?"

"My mother died when I was yet to start life. Mothers are the only persons who fight for their children."

"But people who don’t do much will say they are busy. I wonder what they do."

"I am not worried any longer as long as I know what I am capable of doing."

"But we don’t wake up in the morning and see a bag of money waiting for us outside. I have been working since I was 17."

"However, never say never because ultimately my destiny might not be in marriage NOW, but maybe when I’m 75yrs old. You never can tell"

"I believe that this (acting) is what God ordained me to do and that is why I am still relevant. I am very sure that if I had towed a different career path I would have been forgotten by now"

"Children are not asked to be born so when you have them, you must take care of them."

"Life is perspective, 2 pieces."

"You don't have to leave before you are forgotten."

"The only one standing in your way is you. Go for what you want at full speed, no hesitation, no questions."

"A person focused on achieving his/her goals will find life more fulfilling. Keep glowing."

"I don’t understand why we have to get to the point of violence of any kind, be it battering, emotional, financial, psychological, before making a move. I have never understood why loved ones get to that point and why the parties involved remain in abusive relationship when it is obvious it can have a fatal end, even if it doesn’t lead to death, depression and isolation, it leads to mental breakdown. I strongly believe any form of domestic violence against both women and men is unacceptable, should be frowned at and the signs should be addressed on time. Victims should understand their priority is their happiness and safety and they owe it to themselves to walk out alive while they still have their heads on their shoulders instead of bothering themselves on what the society will say; walk out and quit when you still can. The good thing is that these days, even the society frowns at it and the law now has agencies to handle cases so they should reach out on time and save themselves from a fatal end."

"Young people need to take a moment and reflect on the cost of their lives and the value they bring into the world, their communities, and humanity."

"Beautifully Coloured’ is a children’s picture book on kindness, diversity, inclusion, and positive affirmations which can help create more awareness about diversity and inclusion for younger children in elementary schools."

"It’s not in my character to disappoint people especially the opposite sex. And again, it’s better for me to end a bad relationship rather than hanging on to it and regretting thereafter, or ending up in marriage and recording a broken home. I guess, these are ‘bad men’ that are not meant to come on board. If I disappoint them, I have no regrets whatsoever"

"Everything good needs maintenance otherwise, that’s the end. If you don’t maintain your skin and everything around you, they get spoilt easily. We have harsh weather here. For somebody like me with my natural fair skin, I have to maintain it."

"There’s one thing I’m praying to God to change about me and that’s what I don’t like about myself. I’m too trusting. I trust a lot and it backfires on me especially with women. People come to me and start lying and I don’t expect them to lie. I just trust people, I trust them with money and it backfires. I just have to change in that area to be on a safer side. Not as if I’m gullible but sometimes you miscalculate. It happens most when you’re dealing with people you already know. I do not want to mention names."

"I believe I have always been in the limelight. It’s just that modeling didn’t give me much publicity when I started out. But like I said, I got into the acting profession in 1997 and then, I guess, I didn’t have enough experience. The first two jobs I did were not rewarding at all, as one of the producers absconded with my fee. The second job was not encouraging to me, resulting in my taking a break for some time. When I came back, I did movies like, Married to a Witch, From Grace to Grass. And these movies, I would say, brought me into limelight in the acting."

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

"Experience is actually the best teacher; nobody really tells you the truth. You have to go through the experience to find out what others are suffering from."

"I don’t think I have the moral upbringing to act nude. I’m a Christian and I respect my body as the temple of God. I can’t do it for any price"

"We are not doing our movies the way our Hollywood counterparts are doing their own. I don't think anything good can come out of our movies that takes less than a month to be shot. I am not in support of such unprofessional way of carrying guns and celebrating ritualism."

"I want to be a force to reckon with not just as an actor but also as a producer. I want to do quality stuff and be an employer of labour so that I can change perceptions people have about the industry."

"What are my dreams? To find fulfilment in all I do and be extremely happy in life."

"My advice for them is always to be sure what they want and then go for it. They should realise they can be anything they want and have no limitations, except that which they create themselves. Life isn’t as easy as a lot of people make it look like. It takes a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, dedication, determination, discipline, consistency, persistency, and focus to get there, so they should be ready to work extremely hard and know that it will never come easy. But the trick is to never give up, to trust the process, believe in themselves and their dreams, no matter how impossible it looks, keep pushing and to not put their trust in people and putting all their hopes in believing someone will help them fasttrack their dreams. No one owes you anything, so don’t hand your life to anyone. Take control, trust and believe in yourself, thank God for the internet and even if you don’t have money to go train yourself, you can read and watch videos on line. read, read and never stop reading and remain focused."

"“Be very patient and consistent. Be hard working, humble and never for any reason stop believing in yourself."

"I never really wanted to be a celebrity. I am here because this is where my heart is. So, when it got really bad, I was like maybe I should just go and do something else, maybe I should just quit. But then, my husband always encouraged me and I picked the pieces together again and continued."

"I guess sometimes when you have this burning desire that makes you lack concentration in every other thing and guarantees you fulfilment and happiness, you get to take it and not look back, that is what acting is for me."

"I sincerely don’t think there is any industry in the world where sex for a job doesn’t come up. So, Nollywood isn’t an exception"

"I have a father who is very liberal. I had an upbringing of becoming an independent person who makes decisions on his or her own, knowing full well everything that one does has consequences One should be responsible enough to stand by it."

"I believe that as humans, we should never cease to make an impact in the lives of others wherever we find ourselves or whatever we are doing. This appointment restates the fact that there is still a lot of ground to be covered,”"

"I’ve never been afraid of a challenge"

"It really doesn’t make any difference to me really except he has a white skin and I have a dark skin. It would have been same if I married anyone outside my tribe in Nigeria as we all have different cultures. Adaptation happens naturally"

"It is not advisable to marry without dating. How do you explain his character or personality? I would rather marry a man who genuinely loves me; it is not just about paying my bride price but staying married for eternity is also very important."

"I also want to be able to work and earn enough to support my family and husband when I settle down. I am one of those who think the era of a woman being a liability to her husband is gone."

"My mum is a great woman. She is like a mother to many Hausa movie stars and she is the best thing that has happened to me. We are best of friends and there is nothing I don’t tell her about me."

"Everyone tells you the danger of holding on to the past and not enjoying the present. What they don’t tell you is the tragedy of living your life solely for the future, so much so, you never bask in the present."

"I’m mentally at a place where I can’t afford to freely give anymore. Meaning if I love you, I need for you to love me back. If I care about you, I need you to care about me too. If I sacrifice for you, I need sacrifices in return. If I protect you, I need to be protected as well. My mental capacity won’t allow me to keep pouring from an empty cup. I can’t afford to accept one sided love and energy anymore. We all deserve to be poured into, as we pour into others."

"Shooting documentaries in Nigeria is difficult for a number of reasons: Nigerians aren’t very honest. Nigerians aren’t very open. Nigerians don’t keep footages. Everyone demands money to share their story and Everyone is more interested in ‘their truth'"

"I think Nollywood as an industry is really growing, we’ve come a long way, right now we are dominating the cinemas and I think we are doing great. I think all that is missing to bridge the gap is the audience and finance."