Ani Iyoho

EARLY LIFE

Aniekan Iyoho was born on September 2, 1980, in Nigeria and hails from Akwa Ibom State. He spent parts of his early years in Kaduna and Lagos before relocating to his home state. He showed an early interest in the arts, participating in church choir and drama groups. He attended St. Mary’s Science College in Ediene Abak and Word of Faith. He later studied Zoology at the University of Calabar and earned an Advanced Diploma in Software Engineering from Aptech in Lagos. He has described being inspired by television programmes such as Tales by Moonlight and was encouraged to pursue acting after a chance meeting with actor Jim Iyke.

CAREER

Iyoho joined the Actors Guild of Nigeria (Lagos branch) in 2004 and has worked steadily in Nollywood across film and television. He gained wider recognition for his supporting role as Shina in Potomanto (2013), which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). He received a Best Actor nomination at the Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) in 2017. His screenwriting work has also been recognised, with nominations for Golden Story and Golden Screenwriter at the 2018 Ghana Movie Awards (GMAA). In 2014 he wrote, directed, and co-produced the short film Our Girls (with a Royal Arts Academy student), a story inspired by the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; it placed third in an RAA competition. He is best known for performing what has been described as the first successful full-body fire stunt in a Nigerian film in 2016, for the movie Behind the Wheels (directed by Stanlee Ohikhuare). Playing the character Benjamin, he was set ablaze under controlled conditions with professional special-effects preparation. The sequence earned him the widely used alias “Man on Fire.” He has spoken positively about the experience, describing it as exciting and something he looked forward to after thorough preparation. Other notable credits include Ratnik (2020) as Mekeva, The Set Up (2019), Sanitation Day (2020), A Soldier’s Story 2: Return from the Dead (2020), Dysfunction (2021), Operation Scorpion Sting (2021), Lahira (2023), One Lagos Night (2021), Assistant Madams (TV), and various short films and series. He has also worked in camera/electrical departments on some projects and performs many of his own stunts.

PERSONAL LIFE

Iyoho is married to Dorothea Kwofie, a special effects and makeup artist who collaborated with him on major stunt sequences, including the notable fire scene. The couple has publicly shared anniversary posts reflecting a long-term relationship spanning nearly two decades. He lives in Lagos and is involved with LaMB Entertainment, which he runs. He describes himself as a humanist, pet lover, and proud African, and maintains an interest in life coaching.

Beyond acting and filmmaking, Iyoho holds a black belt in Shotokan karate and has experience in other martial arts. Additional skills include swimming, singing, and mimicking accents. He is the CEO of LaMB Entertainment and has been involved in life coaching and personal development. He continues to work across action, drama, and thriller genres in Nollywood.