Iyabo Ojo Biography, Age, Net worth, Awards, Career, Husband and Expensive Lifestyle in 2022
★ Profile
• Full name – Alice Iyabo Ojo nee Ogunro
• Birth date – 21st of December, 1978
• Birth place – Lagos State
• Origin – Abeokuta, Ogun State
• Age – 43 years old
• Nationality – Nigerian
• Marital status – Divorced
• Children – 2
• Occupation – Actress, Entrepreneur and Brand Ambassador
• Instagram followers – 5.1m
• Net worth – $700,000
• Years active (Acting) – 1998-present
★ Early life, Background & Education
Iyabo Ojo was born to the family of Mr. Adekunle Ogunro (her father) and Mrs. Olubunmi Fetuga (her mother), as Alice Iyabo Ogunro on the 21st of December 1978 in the suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria, however, her father originally hails from Abeokuta, making her an indigene of Ogun State. She is the youngest of her parents three children, having two older brothers. She attended the National College, Gbagbada, before proceeding to the Lagos State Polytechnic to obtain a degree in Estate Management.
★ Career
Having been involved in a drama group while in secondary school, which made her develop an interest in acting, Iyabo Ojo didn't begin her professional acting career until 1998. She was able to register with the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) through the help of fellow colleague Bimbo Akintola, which has been of great help to her, as she was able to network to other acts in the industry in a short period of time.
Iyabo has scripted and featured in several Nigerian films. Her first role was in a 1998 English-language film titled “Satanic”. In 2002, she made her Yoruba-language debut with “Baba Darijinwon”.
Subsequently, she started producing movies. She made her debut in movie production with Bolutife in 2004. She has produced other movies like Bofeboko, Ololufe, Esan e.t.c.
In 2015, she produced a movie titled “Silence”. Silence became a blockbuster and premiered in Silverbird Cinema, Ikeja, Lagos. It also won the Best of Nollywood award of the Year. In addition, Iyabo has worked with personalities like Joseph Benjamin, Mercy Aigbe, Odunlade Adekola, Femi Adebayo, Desmond Elliot, and other prominent actors.
★ Personal Life & Marriage
In 1999, Iyabo tied the knot with a Lagos-based movie marketer when she was just 21 years of age. This made Iyabo take a break from pursuing her career for a while. While in her matrimonial home, she gave birth to a son and then a daughter (born in 1999 and 2001 respectively), namely Felix Ojo and Priscilla Ajoke Ojo, but is now divorced from their father. She has attributed the breakup of her first marriage to marrying too young. She has spoken of her intention to stop using her former husband's surname, Ojo.
★ Philanthropy
In May 2011, Iyabo Ojo launched her very own NGO – Pinkies Foundation, which caters to the children with special needs and the less privileged. According to Iyabo Ojo herself; “the NGO was established with the aim of bringing women together irrespective of age or social class.”
Fun fact: Due to public misconception on the members being lesbians, the name was changed to Pinkies Foundation in 2014.
Today, through the Pinkies Foundation, Iyabo, and other women share ideas on different aspects of life and also cater for children with special needs and disabilities.
In 2014, the foundation visited the institute of the blind. Also, in 2015, they donated gifts to the Family Vocational Institute for Disable in Ijoko, Ogun State. In 2016, the foundation staged a walk against children cancer in Lagos.
Pinkies Foundation has done several philanthropic activities while also raising the banner for children and women. She celebrated the fifth anniversary of the foundation on 1 May 2016 at the R&A City Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
★ Controversy
In April, 2021, she strongly condemned fellow actor, Yomi Fabiyi for sympathising with Olanrewaju Omikunle (Baba Ijesha) who was arrested for molesting a minor. On May 12, 2021, she took legal action against Yomi Fabiyi (who had earlier staged a protest requesting the release of Baba Ijesha) for making "defamatory statements" about her. Her actions did not go down well with the Theater Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, (TAMPAN), and they blacklisted her on 28 June 2021. According to renowned Yoruba actor Jide Kosoko, speaking for TAMPAN, said that Nollywood filmmakers under the association will stop working with her.
★ Popular Movies
Iyabo Ojo being a screen goddess, has produced and starred in numerous movies over the years, some of which includes;
• Satanic (1998)
• Agogo Ide (1998)
• Baba Darinjinwon (2002)
• Okanla (2013)
• Silence (2015)
• Beyond Disability (2015)
• Black Val
• Arinzo
• Apo Owo
• Awusa (2016)
• Tore Ife (Love)
• Trust (2016)
• Ore (2016)
• Ipadabo (2016)
• Twisted Twin (2016)
• Kostrobu (2017)
• Gone to America (2017)
• Divorce Not Allowed (2018)
★ Awards & Recognitions
• Best of Nollywood (BON) – “Best Movie of the year” (2014)
• African Film Awards (AFA) – “Best Crossover Actress” (2007)
• BOTRA Award – “Excellent Performance on Stage” (2011)
• Abuja International Film Festival – “Best Feature Film” (2011)
• Deluxe Magazine – “Award of Excellence and Recognition” (2011)
• Best of Nollywood (BON) – “Best Actress in a Supporting Role (2012)
• CAMA Awards – “Best Actress of the Year” (2013)
• Africa Mouthpiece – “Woman of the Year” (2015)
• City People Movie Awards – “Best Actress of the Year (Yoruba)” (2015)
Fun fact: In 2018, Nigeria First Lady – Aisha Buhari, recognised her alongside other thespians for their contribution to the development of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
★ Iyabo Ojo Quotes
“Always believe in yourself: it’s the strongest tool you will ever own.”
“Everyone has a story to tell… don’t lose focus.”
“When you are organised, you plan ahead…”
“…When something is local, it does not mean that it is dirty.”
“Anybody who has a destination in mind would not stop to throw stones at every dog that barks on the way…”
“…Many of these so-called critics are just jealous people who wish they have the type of life you have.”
“When your challenges stop, your life stops (i.e we are bound to have challenges).”
“I may fall a thousand times I tell you but I will always rise again greater than before.”
“I am never afraid to live because I know I will only live once! So I have chosen to be strong, I have chosen to be courageous, I have chosen to live happy…”
“We all have our defects. When you keep looking for an ideal man, a good one will pass you by.”
“You say what you want out of life; we shouldn’t deceive ourselves. It is a choice to die in poverty…”
“To me, marriage is a 50-50 thing. If I put in my 50, you have to put in your 50.”
“Time is indomitable, you can’t stop it, reverse it, hold it or pause it…”
“When a woman gives birth, she becomes a lioness. She becomes the mother of a new life. She’s over protective of her offspring, automatically, she acts the way a Lioness acts after giving birth.”
★ Net worth
As of 2021, Iyabo Ojo who's one of the most successful Nollywood actresses, is estimated to be worth roughly $700,000. This spans across her business interests, career earnings, brand sponsorships and ambassadorial deals.
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