Ifeoma Fafunwa is a renowned Nigerian actress, playwright, founder and creative director, known for her groundbreaking work in performance art, particularly through her acclaimed stage play HEAR WORD! Women in Nigeria Talk True.
She started iOpenEye Ltd. and uses stories to make the world a better place, with a focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria and beyond.
Ifeoma Fafunwa Biography
| Real Name | Ifeoma Fafunwa |
| Famous As | Playwright, Director, Creative Director |
| Ethnicity | Igbo |
| Education | Trained as an architect in the United States |
| Parents | Walter Obianwu and Carol Obianwu |
| Spouse | Tani Fafunwa |
| Children | Four |
| Relationship | Married |
Early Life and Education
Ifeoma Fafunwa (born on November 28, 1964, 61 years old) is from Lagos, Nigeria. She immigrated to the US at the age of 17, where she trained and practiced architecture for about 20 years. Her parents, Walter and Carol Obianwu, reared her. Nothing is known about her siblings.
She completed coursework at the University of Southern California and the Dorsey Studios for the Performing Arts before earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1987.
Career
Ifeoma Fafunwa is the creative director of iOpenEye Ltd. This Nigerian production company uses performance art to promote social change. HEAR WORD is her most well-known piece. She co-wrote and directed the stirring stage play Naija Women Talk True, which is based on real-life accounts of Nigerian women.
Through song, dance, and personal monologues, the play celebrates resiliency and resistance while challenging social, cultural, and political norms that restrict women’s potential.
HEAR WORD! has been performed all over the world since its 2014 debut in Nigeria, including at the Tate Modern, Harvard University, the American Repertory Theater, the United Nations CSW’18 convention, and the London International Festival of Theatre.
She demonstrated her ability to connect local and international stages in 2012 when she directed one of Nigeria’s cultural submissions for the London Olympics.
Fafunwa has directed Love & Recession, Her Majesty’s Visit, Little Drops, and Digging for Gold, among other films and television shows. Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, Wakaa! The Musical, SARO the Musical, and the critically acclaimed film Potato Potahto—which won awards at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival, Chelsea International Film Festival, and Baltimore International Film Festival—are just a few of the projects she has worked on as an executive producer and producer.
Her filmography includes parts in the web series Gidi Up, Bandits, Potato Potahto, and Diamond in the Sky. She also mentors the next generation by teaching pro-bono performance art workshops in Nigeria to increase the capacity of young female performers.
Filmography
Theatre (Director/Writer):
- HEAR WORD! Naija Women Talk True (2014–2017, Nigerian Tour; 2016, International Tour)
- Love & Recession (Nigerian Tour)
- Her Majesty’s Visit (Abuja)
- Little Drops (South South States Tour)
- Digging for Gold
- Theatre (Executive Producer/Producer):
- Wakaa! The Musical (Lagos, London)
- SARO the Musical (Lagos, London)
- Fela and the Kalakuta Queens
- Heartbeat The Musical
- The Lion and the Jewel
- Naming Ceremony
- The King Must Dance Naked
Film/TV (Actress):
- Potato Potahto
- Bandits
- Diamond in the Sky
- Gidi Up (web series)
- Battleground (Mama Egba)
- Project Fame West Africa (2007–2016)
- Widow’s Cot (AMAA Award, Best Actor in a Leading Role)
Awards and Nominations
- Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network
- Fellow of Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University
- AMAA Award (Best Actor in a Leading Role for Widow’s Cot, as part of the production team)
- Silicon Valley African Film Festival (Best Feature Film for Potato Potahto, as producer)
- Chelsea International Film Festival (Special Jury Prize for Potato Potahto, as producer)
- Baltimore International Film Festival (Best Feature Film for Potato Potahto, as producer)
Social Media
Instagram Handle: @ifeomafafunwa
Personal Life
Ifeoma Fafunwa, who married Tani Fafunwa in 2001, is a proud mother of four children, successfully balancing her family life in Lagos with her career accomplishments. She teaches pro-bono performance art workshops to empower young female performers in Nigeria as part of her ongoing commitment to social change.
Net Worth
Ifeoma Fafunwa is a playwright, director, and creative director with an estimated net worth of $500,000. She earns a living by working extensively in theater, film, and TV, where she directs, produces, and acts.