Ola Yusuf

EARLY LIFE

Tunde Ola Yusuf was born and raised in Nigeria. He is an alumnus of the prestigious University of Lagos (UNILAG), where he completed his undergraduate degree before relocating abroad.

CAREER

Tunde Ola Yusuf is a thoroughly trained professional in the film and television space. Following his graduation from UNILAG, he moved to the United States to master the art of filmmaking. He studied film at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, before earning a Master of Arts (MA) degree in English and Scriptwriting from Southern New Hampshire University. Dedicated to reaching the highest levels of his craft, he went on to study film and TV production at the globally renowned University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He began his career gaining behind-the-scenes experience on various Hollywood projects in New York. Driven by a passion to tell authentic African stories, he returned to Nigeria to self-fund, write, and produce his major debut Nigerian project, a five-part series titled "Godmother". Focusing on campus politics, unionism, and power dynamics, the series features notable Nollywood stars like Tony Umez and Tobi Makinde, and was co-directed by Tunde alongside Captain Degzy. Seeking unique architectural visuals, he consciously chose the University of Ibadan (UI) as the filming location rather than his alma mater. His notable films are Abebi (2021), Every Woman (2019) and Shoyebi (2025).

Beyond his work as a director and writer, Tunde is officially recognized in the industry as an actor. He is known for his commitment to elevating Nollywood's production standards to a global scale, advocating for strict professionalism in the industry. He has actively pursued international distribution for his projects, aiming to land licensing deals with major streaming giants like Amazon Prime.