The Nollywood industry is filled with talented individuals who also have side hustles as a good number of them have come out to say that acting and producing movies alone is not sufficient enough to put food on their table. You find many actors delve into other businesses, trying to keep body and soul together; businesses ranging from fashion, organic products sale, trading, cloth selling, lecturing etc. Today, the focus is majorly on top 10 actors who are lecturers on tertiary institutions. A good number of them are doctors as well as Ph.D holders.
1. Joke Muyiwa
Joke Muyiwa born 21 March 1963, is a veteran actress and a former Head of Department, performing arts at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, where she is currently a lecturer. She lectures in the department of Performing Arts.
She had her M.Phil at the University of Ibadan and her PhD at Redeemers University.
Joke Muyiwa is a Nigerian film actress, honorary chief, Ph.D holder and lecturer.
2. Peter Fatomilola
Chief Peter Fatomilola is a Nigerian dramatist, lecturer, film actor, poet and prolific playwright
Born 16 January 1946, he is a graduate of theater arts from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ife, and he learnt under professor Wole Soyinka. He later became a dramatic arts instructor at the OAU. Though he is retired, he still gets invitations to lecture in universities.
3. Dr. Sola Fosudo
Sola Fosudo; born March 18, 1958 is a Nigerian prolific dramatist, scholar, critic, film actor and director.
Sola hails from Lagos state and was trained as a dramatist at Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Ibadan where he obtained a Master of Art degree in drama. He has featured and directed several Nigerian films.
Dr Sola Fosudo is a senior lecturer and head of the department of theatre art and music. Lagos state university (LASU) and the university’s director of information.
4. Samuel Dedetoku aka Sam Dede
Samuel Dedetoku popularly known by his stage name Sam Dede is a Nigerian veteran actor, director, politician and lecturer. He has appeared in more than 350 films mostly in supporting roles in a career spanning over 20 years.
Sam Dede is an award-winning actor and lecturer who’s role in the epic movie Igodo endeared Sam Dede to movie enthusiasts. He is nicknamed ‘Ebube’ for his lead role in the film Issakaba.
The former lecturer at the University of Lagos is currently in the employ of the department of theatre arts at the University of Port Harcourt. He was appointed in 2012 as director-general of the Rivers state tourism development agency and served in the position for a brief period. He recently starred in a 2021 film titled Gone as the movie character Ani.
5. Hafiz Oyetoro aka Saka
Hafiz Oyetoro; born August 20, 1963 is a Nigerian comic actor who obtained a Bachelor and Master of Art degree in theater art from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the University of Ibadan (UI) respectively. He is currently on a doctorate degree at the Institute of African Studies, UI.
Afeez Oyetoro is known for his clown role in Nollywood movies and has featured in several Nigerian films. He is currently a lecturer in the department of theatre art of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education in Ijanikin, Lagos.
The actor who is simply known as Saka has been blessed through acting. Acting brought him the MTN brand ambassador contract. He has also modeled for different firms including Diamond Bank and Etisalat. His ‘porting’ from Etisalat to MTN became a big item when he left Etisalat for MTN as a brand ambassador.
6. Joke Silva
Joke Silva, is a veteran Nigerian actress, teacher, director and businesswoman. Joke was appointed to head Nollywood movie studio Malete Film Village owned by Kwara State University, Nigeria. She has been saddled with the responsibility of training people who love the acting profession.
Born in 1961, Joke Silva has starred in numerous films and television series in both the English and Yoruba languages. One of her earliest roles was in the 1990 English film ‘Mind Bending’. In 1998, she starred opposite Colin Firth and Nia Long in the British-Canadian film ‘The Secret Laughter of Women’, in which she portrayed Nene. She was Principal at project fame academy.
Also, Joke Silva is vice-chairman at Lufodo, which is an accredited performing arts Institution, with hands-on training in acting & performing while her husband veteran actor Olu Jacobs is chairman. They both founded the company.
7. Doyin Hassan
Doyin Hassan is an actor and lecturer who is popular for his role in the movie Saworoide but the soft-spoken actor with a lady’s voice has since gone on to appear in only Christian movies produced by Mike Bamiloye’s Mount Zion Film Productions.
Doyin Hassan holds a PhD in Business Administration and he is a senior lecturer in the department of marketing in Lagos State University (LASU). He is also a former HOD at the department and is currently an Assistant Director in the university’s school of part-time studies in charge of Ogba and Ikorodu campuses and a part time lecturer at University of Lagos (UNILAG).
8. Kola Oyewo
Kola Oyewo; born 27 March 1946 is a Nigerian veteran actor, dramatist and scholar.
Fame came his way in Tunde Kelani’s movie Kosegbe where he played Mako, an incorruptible custom boss. Oyewo had his first degree from the OAU, where he was his son’s classmate. He later proceeded to University of Ibadan where he earned his M.A and PhD in drama. He was a senior lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife (OAU) until 2011 before he moved on to head the department of dramatic arts in Redeemer’s University. Oyewo is also currently working at Elizade University Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State as a performing arts lecturer.
9. Dr Olatunji Samson Sotimirin aka Shadow
Tunji Sotimirin is a veteran actor whose activity in the Nigerian movie industry spans almost three decades. Tunji Sotimirin stared in Owuro Lojo alongside a young Joke Silva in the early 90s and has also featured in numerous movies including Tade Ogidan’s Hostages.
However not many know Dr Sotimirin as a scholar – a university teacher, teaching drama at the Department of creative arts, University of Lagos – and writer whose literary works, including poems, and essays have been widely anthologised.
10. Gbenga Windapo
Windapo is a prolific actor and comedian. He is a lecturer at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED). Gbenga Windapo and Hafiz Oyetoro are however not coincidental colleagues at AOCOED as the duo have a long history together as partners having acted in numerous stage plays as a group. Gbenga Windapo founded the comedy group, Lafomania, which had Saka and many other comedians as members.
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11. Late Professor Akinwunmi Isola
Professor Akinwunmi Isola (December 24, 1939 – February 17, 2018). He was a Nigerian playwright, novelist, actor, dramatist, culture activist and scholar. He was known for his writing in, and his work in promoting, the Yoruba language. As an actor, he was also known for Agogo Èèwo (2002), Efunsetan Aniwura (1981) and Efunsetan Aniwura (2005)
Professor Akinwunmi Isola was a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) who became a professor in 1991. He died at the age of 78.
12. Professor Ayobami Akinwale
Late Professor Ayo Akinwale; born 1946 was an actor, veteran movie producer and an academician. He has featured in several home movies. He was a laureate of the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) and was dean of the faculty of arts at the University of Ilorin.
Prof Akinwale wrote several books and articles on theatre arts in Nigeria in his life time and as a seasoned actor with a fantastic Yoruba accent, his spoken English was also impeccable. He died September 13 2020 at the age of 74.
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