Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi

EARLY LIFE

Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi was born on 24 November 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria, as the youngest of seven children (five brothers and one sister) to a businesswoman/nurse-entrepreneur mother and a well-travelled entrepreneur father. She grew up and schooled in both Lagos and London, developing a love for the English language and human behaviour. Acting interested her from an early age (around 8), influenced by watching her aunt, veteran actress Teni Aofiyebi, on television and participating in school plays. Her parents initially preferred a more conventional path (science/medicine), but she pursued performance. She trained at Westminster College, London (Drama and Theater Arts certificate, 1992) and later took an intensive TV/film acting course at Pinewood Studios/Actors Studio in Buckinghamshire, UK. She also earned a BSc in Sociology from the University of Lagos.

CAREER

Her professional acting career began in 1996 while studying at the University of Lagos, with her first paid role as Ese in Amaka Igwe’s Violated, opposite Joke Silva, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ego Boyo, and Kunle Bamtefa. She received a THEMA nomination for Best Upcoming Actress. She is best known for her long-running portrayal of the fierce villain Brenda Nana Mensah on the M-Net soap Tinsel (multiple seasons; nominated for Best Actress in a TV Show at the 2010 Nigerian Entertainment Awards). Other television work includes MTV Shuga, Doctors’ Quarters, Palace, Solitaire, and more. Notable film roles include: The Figurine (2009) Grey Dawn (2015) King of Boys (2018) We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2018) Walking with Shadows Adire (2023) The House of Secrets (2023) Tokunbo (2024) Criminal (2024) Keeping Faith, Comrade, and stage works including Vagina Monologues, The Mansion, and Sing That Old Song for Me. She is selective about roles, prioritising quality and standards. Beyond acting, she produced and presented the radio talk show Touch of Spice on Star FM for about 14 years (starting 1999), focusing on positive values for young people. She founded the ushering agency Spice Angels (launched around the start of Africa Magic) and has blogged about the industry. She has served as a goodwill ambassador for film festivals (Black Star International Film Festival in Ghana and Real Time Film Festival in Nigeria) and was a brand ambassador for MTN Nigeria. In 2007 she won the reality dance competition Celebrity Takes 2.

PERSONAL LIFE

She married advertising executive Olayinka (Yinka) Raimi on Valentine’s Day 2008 after a friendship that developed into romance (they met through work). The couple has a son, Xavier (born around 2012). She has spoken about balancing motherhood, marriage, and her career, and has appeared with her son in media features focused on parenting. She values family, true friendship, and living by the golden rule. She temporarily stepped back from social media following the death of a brother before returning.

Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi is regarded as a versatile, well-spoken performer known for strong diction, memorable character work (especially complex or villainous roles), and a multi-faceted career spanning film, television, radio, and entrepreneurship. She continues to appear in select Nollywood projects while maintaining a balanced public profile centred on craft, family, and industry standards.