Oluwakemi Iyanda

Born: 1971-07-27 (age 54)
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
Occupation: Talk Show Host, Broadcaster, Film Producer, Television Producer, Media Executive, Philanthropist, Journalist, Blogger, Sports Journalist, Writer, Columnist, Actress, Model, On-air-personality, Beauty Queen
Active: 2007 - Present
Alma Mater: Olabisi Onabanjo University
AKA: Iya Mufu, Olufunmilola Aduke Iyanda

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Career Stats

Stable

Movies: 1
Lead Roles: 1
Years Active: 19yrs
Per Year: 0.1films

Career Overview

Oluwakemi Iyanda has 1 film credits since 2026 .

Peak: 2026
Pace: 0.1 films/year

Role Distribution

Actress×1

Genre Breakdown

Drama

Biography

EARLY LIFE

Oluwakemi Iyanda is the first child of an Edo woman and a Yoruba man from Osun state, Nigeria. She had her primary and secondary education in Lagos. She described herself as an indoor and shy person during her childhood and campus days, not keeping many friends, but she would crack jokes with her parents and siblings. She studied Mass Communication at Olabisi Onabanjo University. Funmi Iyanda was born Olufunmilola Aduke Iyanda in Lagos, Nigeria, on 27 July 1971. Her father was from Ogbomoso and her mother from Ijebu-Ode. She grew up in the Lagos Mainland area, and her mother passed away when Funmi was seven years old. She attended African Church Princess Primary School, Akoka, and Herbert Macaulay School for her primary education, and International School Ibadan for her secondary education. She later graduated from the University of Ibadan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography.

CAREER

Oluwakemi Iyanda started her career as a model and later became an On-Air-Personality (OAP) on Orisun TV, where she anchored shows like Miliki Express, Ojumo Ire, and Owambe. She then ventured into acting, which she describes as a God-given talent that she improved upon while learning on the job. Her filmography includes movies such as Alagbara, Entrapped, Survival of Jelili, The Adventure, and Tangled Mercy. She also created a comical Instagram alter ego named 'Iya Mufu', which has been well-received. Her big break came from her TV presentation and the 'Iya Mufu' comedy skits on social media, which subsequently led to more acting roles. She has participated in several beauty pageants, coming second in Face of University in 2007, contesting for Miss Tourism Nigeria in 2008, and winning Miss Tourism Oyo State in 2009. She emphasizes humility and resilience as key to navigating the Nollywood industry. Iyanda's career in television began with producing and presenting 'Good Morning Nigeria', a breakfast magazine show known for its 'Heroes' and 'Street Life' segments. She also pursued her passion for sports as a journalist, covering events like the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, the 1999 female Football World Cup, the All Africa Games in Zimbabwe, and the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games in Sydney and Athens. In 2000, she launched 'New Dawn with Funmi', which became the longest-running independently produced show on NTA, airing daily on NTA 10 Lagos. She has also written columns for Tempo Magazine, Farafina Magazine, PM News, The Punch, Daily Trust, and Vanguard Newspapers. After a two-year break, she returned to television in 2010 with 'Talk With Funmi (TWF)', a show that traveled throughout Nigeria to capture diverse conversations. The same year, she completed 'My Country: Nigeria', a three-part documentary celebrating Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary, which aired on the BBC World Service. In 2012, Iyanda and Chris Dada released 'Chopcassava', a web series documenting the January 2012 fuel subsidy protests in Lagos. She is currently the CEO of OYA Media (formerly Ignite Media).

PERSONAL LIFE

Funmi Iyanda is a member of the African Leadership Institute, a Tutu Fellow, and a participant of the ASPEN Institute's Forum for Communications and Society. In 2012, she was honored by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, for her dedication to gender advocacy after participating in a five-day UN advocacy trek up Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about ending violence against women and girls. She served on the Board of Farafina Trust and Positive Impact Youth Network and was involved in the Occupy Nigeria protests in January 2012 against the government's fuel subsidy removal policy.