Nollywood has been in existence since as far back as the late 19th century. Back in the 1960s Nigeria was blessed with filmmakers such as Ola Balogun, Hubert Ogunde, Jab Adu, and Eddie Ugboma. These are the historical pioneers of the entertainment industry widely known as Nollywood today.
As great as the filmmakers were, so also have the actors who have graced our screens from inception. When talking about the greatest Nigerian actresses of all time, names such as Joke Sylvia and Genevieve Nnaji would most likely pop-up, but, who else is considered to be as great as them?
Here are the 12 Greatest Nollywood Actresses Ever
12. Chioma Chukwuka Apotha
Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha is a Nollywood actress whose career in the industry has spanned about 23 years. Making her debut in the year 2000 in the film The Apple, she now has several movie credits to her name and even has awards such as the Afro Hollywood Award and African Movie Academy Award.
Chioma is a versatile actress whose roles in movies aren’t limited to just a particular character. She has played varying roles in movies such as 2005’s Sins of the Flesh, Games Men Play released in 2006, 2013’s On Bended Knees, and even 2018’s Wives on Strike.
Born on March 12, 1980, the actress has tried her hands at other aspects of her career. She is a director and producer and even produced the aforementioned ‘On Bended Knees’.
Her accolades are numerous and her awards are quite many, therefore, her contribution to the industry cannot be overemphasized. In 2007 and 2014 she won the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the African Movie Academy Awards.
11. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
This actress was born on February 7 1978 and has been active as an actress in Nollywood since mid-1990. She is mostly remembered for movies such as Blood Sisters (2003), Last Flight to Abuja (2012), and as recent as 2017, Alter Ego.
Omo-sexy as she is fondly called has awards such as the Africa Movie Academy Awards, Golden Icons Awards, as well as Popular Online Choice Award.
The actress was a model who also tried music in 2005 with the release of the album ‘gba’. In the album were songs such as ‘Naija Lowa’ and ‘Things You Do To Me’. She however released two other albums after that and worked with the likes of Kendrick Dean and Drumma Boy.
In 2012, the singer and actress ventured into reality TV launching her show ‘Omotola: The Real Me’. She is the first celebrity in Nigeria to have her own reality TV show.
10. Uche Jombo
The Girl’s Hostel and Banana Island Ghost actress was born on December 28, 1979. She began acting in 1999 with the movie Visa to Hell and has so far been in over 200 movies since then.
Uche Jumbo has received a lot of awards such as ELOY awards, Nafca, and Africa International Film Festival awards for her stellar performance in movies such as Damage and Lie Men Tell. She also has an Afro-Hollywood Award as Best Actress.
Uche Jombo’s most recent movie as an actress is in 2022’s Blood Sisters. However, as early as 2008, she began to produce films through her studio known as Uche Jumbo Studio production company.
By 2015, she added to her portfolio by becoming a director and was behind projects such as Lost in Us, How I Saved My Marriage, and even the box office movie Heaven on My Mind.
9. Mercy Johnson
Mercy Johnson Okojie is one of the most loved Nollywood actresses whose versatility in the industry cannot go unnoticed. She has taken up a lot of odd roles in the past years since her debut in 2004 and hasn’t failed to deliver.
She has won awards such as Popular Choice during 2014’s Nollywood Movies Awards, Best Actress in a Comedy at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, and 2012 Nollywood Movies Awards for Best Actress in Leading Role.
Johnson has many endorsement and ambassadorial deals on her plate and can even pass as one of the richest Nollywood actresses at the moment.
Some of her most notable movies are Dumebi the Dirty Girl, 30 Days in Atlanta, and Seven & A Half Dates, to mention just a few.
In 2020, the August 28, 1984-born made a statement in the industry as a producer with the release of her movie The Legend of Inikpi.
8. Rita Dominic
Making her debut in the acting scene in Nigeria in 1998, Rita Dominic has been in movies such as A Time to Kill which was her very first movie. She has been in more films like Back from America, Working Class Lady, Lost Paradise, Bound, and most recently, The Therapist.
Rita has, like most notable actors on this list, delved into production and is credited with the production of The Therapist and Bound, amongst others.
Rita Dominic has so far amassed so many awards from her 25 years in active entertainment. Some of these awards are; City People’s Awards for Outstanding Actress in 2004, Kalasha Film Festival and Television Awards Kenya for Best Actress in 2012, and the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for Best Actress in Leading Role.
7. Bimbo Akintola
Akintola has been active as a Nollywood actress since 1995 to date. She has been featured in so many movies such as the 1995 movie Owo Blow, Out of Bounds, and Diamond Ring.
Bimbo has won an Eko International Film Festival award for being the Best Actress in the movie Heaven’s Hell. She also has a ‘Best Actress or English Actress’ title which was given to her just 2 years into her acting career.
In 2020, Bimbo was featured in the movie The New Normal. Prior, she had also been in Television series since 2015. She is known to interpret her role quite well with all the necessary facial and body expressions.
READ ALSO: Ini Dima-Okojie: True Story Of The Nigerian Actress
6. Kate Henshaw Nutall
Kate Henshaw’s acting career dates as far back as 1993 when she starred in the movie When the Sun Sets. Over the years, she has been in numerous movies, acted in various characters, and interpreted a lot of roles.
Some of her selected filmographies include; Above Death, Show Me Heaven, Chief Daddy, The Ghost and the House of Truth, The Women, and most of 2022’s Blood Sisters.
In addition to being an actress, Henshaw-Nutall is also a philanthropist, fitness enthusiast, and brand ambassador for several brands including Aquafina Table Water.
She has an award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Women which she clinched during the 2017 ‘Best of Nollywood Awards’. Additionally, she has an African Movie Academy Award and City People Movie Special Recognition Award.
In 2014, the renowned actress joined politics and even unveiled her campaign website.
5. Clarion Chukwurah
Born Clara Nneka Oluwatoyin Folashade Chukwurah on July 24, 1964, this actress began her journey to stardom when she first starred in the 1980 soap opera titled Mirror in the Sun.
Since then, she has been featured in series such as Bello’s Way (1984), Ripples (1989), Super Story (2001), and Delilah (2016), to name a few. Her filmography also includes Igbotic Love, Abuja Connection, Egg of Life, Glamour Girls, Yemoja, and Caught in the Act.
This actress is recognized as the very first Nigerian to win the award for Best Actress at the FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso in 1982.
4. Ngozi Ezeoonu
One of the legends of the film industry in Nigeria is this stellar actress from the South Eastern part of the country. She was born on May 23, 1965, and began acting in the early 1990s appearing in movies such as Nneka the Pretty Serpent where she played the supporting role.
She was initially a journalist before making the transition into Nollywood as an actress. Ezeonu was mostly cast to play younger characters despite her recent widely recognized motherly roles.
Ngozi has been in over 150 movies including Glamour Girls, Ada Vigilante, Adesuwa, Lion Heart, Nkasi my Flesh and Blood, and Prince Decision.
She has a 2012 African Movie Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ in the movie Adesuwa. She also has an IAWPA Eminent Peace Award, and the Most Accomplished Actress in Nigeria award.
3. Genevieve Nnaji
Despite not being as old as some legends on this list, Genevieve Nnaji is considered to be one of the greatest actresses the industry has produced. She comfortably stands in the same league with the likes of the legendary actresses – Ngozi and Joke Silva.
Nnaji debuted in 1987 as an 8-year child actor in the film Ripples and has since grown into the industry. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Genevieve’s portfolio is impressive and very much envied.
She has touched almost all aspects of entertainment which covers movies, music, modeling, producing, and directing.
Genevieve’s award shelf has numerous awards over almost 4 decades of her active acting years. Some of the awards include; the Black Reel Awards, Africa Movie Academy Awards, Nigeria Entertainment Awards, and Nollywood Movies Awards, amongst many more.
Her movie Lionheart was the first film to be ever submitted to the Oscars by Nigeria and it was selected for the Best International Film category in 2020.
Her filmography is quite long and has earned her numerous award nominations over the years.
2. Joke Silva Jacobs
Joke Silva Jacobs is a veteran Nigerian actress and director whose debut in the film industry can be traced to as far back as 1990. She initially started her career acting in both English and Yoruba films with her first documented movie credit being in the English series Mind Bending.
Married to fellow legendary Nollywood actor, Olu Jacobs, the couple co-produced and starred in the movie titled Kingmaker.
Joke Silva starred in the series Battleground and has been in films such as Light in the Dark, Chief Daddy, Namaste Wahala, and most recently, Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman.
Listing some of the legendary actresses’ awards, she has; City People Lifetime Achievement Award, Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Actress in Leading Role.
She also has international acclaim as she starred alongside Colin Firth and Nia Long in The Secret Laughter of Women (a British-Canadian film).
1. Bukky Ajayi
Bukky Ajayi was born on February 2, 1934, and died on July 6, 2016. Though deceased, she is undoubtedly one of the actresses who helped to shape the Nigerian film industry.
She was both an English and Yoruba actress who was active in Nollywood from 1966 to 2014. Her very first TV appearance was Village Headmaster and she soon appeared in the 1989-1991TV series Checkmate.
Ajayi was born and schooled in England and only returned to Nigeria in 1965.
Her filmography includes; Orere Laye, Iya Mi Tooto, A Brighter Sun, Women’s Cot, Diamond Ring, and in 2013, Mother of George.
Due to her undeniable contributions to Nollywood, Bukky Ajayi was awarded the Industry Merit Award at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.
