The Nigerian movie industry, AKA, Nollywood houses some of the best actresses in Africa. Renowned within the continent and globally, Nollywood has produced some of the best content in drama, comedy, romance, action, and thriller. If you are an avid fan of this industry, then you’ve probably wondered which top talents keep this industry afloat. In our post, we share the 7 Best Actress In Lagos.
Many Nollywood fans will concur that the industry has some of the most talented queens, that bless our screens with their talents and range. These women not only feature in some of the best Nollywood movies in 2023, but they also have an extensive list of remarkable projects under their belts.
Now, although there are hundreds of good actresses in the industry; each with their unique set of skills, there are a few who just stand out with their acting and charisma. Based on these two things and the fact that they were in films, those have been included in this article and are considered the best of the year 2023.
7 Best Actress In Lagos
1. Genevieve Nnaji
2. Bimbo Ademoye
3. Nse Etim-Ikpe
4. Dakore Akande
5. Adesua Etomi-Wellington
6. Shaffy Bello
7. Ireti Doyle
If you’ve ever watched any of their projects and were left thinking about their performance in that movie for a long time, or the way they embodied a character left you with goosebumps, then it’s possible that the names on this list won’t come as a surprise to you. Without further ado, these are the 7 best actresses in Lagos.
1. Genevieve Nnaji
Genevieve Nnaji; a timeless national treasure, and considered to be the best actress in Lagos, is a producer, director, and actress too. She received the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making history as the first actor to win that award. In 2011, she was bestowed as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian Government for her contributions to Nollywood.
Nnaji made her directorial debut with the movie, Lionheart, which is the first Netflix film from Nigeria and the first-ever Nigerian submission for the Oscars. This year, her movie adaptation of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s book, ‘I Do Not Come To You By Chance’, was submitted at the Toronto International Film Festival.
After spending decades in the movie industry, Genevieve was placed alongside some celebrities and business executives in 2020, in two new books by the publisher and Editor in Chief of Yes International! magazine, Azuh Arinze.
Notable works: Lionheart, I Do Not Come To You By Chance.
2. Bimbo Ademoye
Bimbo Ademoye is a Nigerian actress renowned for her comedic films and relatable movie roles. She has featured in projects such as Sugar Rush, Anikulapo, and Breaded Life.
She also has a YouTube channel, Bimbo Ademoye TV, where she posts some of her works with other actors in Nollywood.
Ademoye has received nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2020 AMVCAS. Additionally, she won Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2020 Best of Nollywood Awards. Bimbo is considered one of the hardest-working actresses in the industry and is a fan favourite.
Notable works: Breaded Life, Anikulapo, Iya Barakat Terropi Secxxion, Big Love, Selina, Gangs of Lagos, Sibe, etc.
3. Nse Etim-Ikpe
Nse Etim-Ikpe, a multiple award winning female actor, is another best actress in Lagos. Nse made her Television at the age of 18 on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). She also entered the world of pageantry, where she won several crowns.
Ikpe is a graduate of the University of Calabar where she studied theatre arts and gave exceptional performances on stage. Her plays are Anowa by Ama Ata Aidoo, Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Sutherland, Child Internationale by Wole Soyinka, Milikin Mata by Harry Hagher, Same Page, etc.
Nse’s comeback movie to Nollywood, ‘Reloaded’ got her a nomination at the African Movie Academy Awards. Her career skyrocketed when this movie became a hit. She is the type of actress to internalize the role and become her character. This is why she is loved in the film industry.
Notable Works: A Sunday Affair, Shanty Town, Glamour Girls, Phone Swap, King of Boys II, etc.
4. Dakore Akande
Dakore Akande is an actress and producer famous for roles in hit movies such as Isoken, Fifty, and Ye! Since making her lead debut in the Nollywood classic ”Silent Tears”, “Playboy”, ”Emotional Crack”, Dakore has featured in over 100 films.
Some of her blockbuster movies that are favourites include Fifty, Isoken, New Money, Castle&Castle, Chief Daddy, and Yemi’s Dilemma. Yemi’s Dilemma was officially selected by the Pan African Film Festival and announced at the Festival International Pan-African at Cannes France.
Dakore won the Best Actress in a leading role prize for her work in Isoken at the African Academy Movie Awards (AMAA) 2018 and Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA) 2018. It was also screened at the 2019 Pan-African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Notable works: Isoken, A Sunday Affair, Castle & Castle, Chief Daddy, etc.
5. Adesua Etomi-Wellington
Adesua Etomi-Wellington is another best actresses in Lagos. She made her debut on the big screen in April 2014 with Knocking on Heaven’s Door. Her gripping performance as the abused Debbie, announced Etomi as someone to watch.
With exceptional performances such as Layo in Brave and Sharon in Gidi Up Season 2, Adesua proved to critics that she had the acting chops needed to succeed in Nollywood. In August 2015, she joined the cast of a Crime and Investigative drama series titled Specia Crimes Unit: Las Gidi Cops which debuted in 2016.
Every new performance on screen and stage, Adesua Etom gives, earns her a spot in the hearts’ of both watchers and critics. In November 2015, leading Journalist, Film Critic, Festival Aficionado and Film Awards Jury Panelist- Shuaib Husseni named her “The New Princess Of The Silver Screen”. Other film credits to her name are, ‘The Wedding Part’ I&II, ‘Falling’, ‘Date Night’ and ‘Up North’.
Notable works: The Wedding Party I& II, Up North, Sugar Rush, Gangs Of Lagos, Shuga, etc.
6. Shaffy Bello
Shaffy Bello is a Nigerian film actress and singer, who first came into the entertainment scene when her vocals were featured in the 1997 hit song by Seyi Sodimu titled ”Love Me Jeje”.
Shaffy grew up in the United States where she concluded her education. Bello’s first major film was Eti Keta, a Yoruba film.
In 2021, she starred as Joanne Lawson in the TV series Tinsel and as Adesuwa in Taste of Love. Since then, Shaffy Bello has been in numerous Yoruba and English language films and TV series such as ‘When Love Happens’, ‘Gbomo Gbomo Express’, and ‘Taste of Love’.
Notable works: Chief Daddy, Shanty Town, The King’s Horseman, Unroyal, Nneka The Pretty Serpent, Two Weeks In Lagos.
7. Ireti Doyle
Last on our list of 7 best actresses in Lagos is Ireti Doyle. Ireti has a career spanning two decades in the Nigerian movie industry, her credit cuts across stage, television film, and print. She is an accomplished writer with a Diploma in Mass Communication and a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Jos.
She produced and presented her own fashion and lifestyle titled Oge with Iretiola for ten years and at separate times anchored many A-list television shows, like Morning Ride, Today On STV, and Nimasa This Week on Channels TV.
Ireti is a renowned writer and has many screenplays to her credit, Amaka Igwe’s Tempest (Season 1) being one of them. She is also an avid social commentator who at different times wrote down popular columns; Shooting Breeze in City People, and In The Chat Room in the Gliteratti pull out of This Day Newspaper and Tiola’s Take in the Saturday Vanguard.
Notable works: The Wedding Party I & II, Merrymen: The Real Yoruba Demons, Merry Men 2, Fifty, The Origin: Madam Koi Koi, The Arbitration, etc.
Also, check: Best Actors in Lagos, Nigeria
