UCHEobi Jessica Jombo

EARLY LIFE

Uche Jombo, full name Uche Jombo Rodriguez was born on December 28, 1979, in Abiriba, Abia State, Nigeria. She grew up in a large family as the third child among nine siblings (four girls and five boys), with a strict, traditional father who initially opposed her acting career but eventually relented. Jombo earned a degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Calabar and later studied Computer Programming at the Federal University of Technology Minna.

PERSONAL LIFE

Uche Jombo married Kenney Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican-American (described in some sources as a businessman), on May 16 (or 15), 2012. The couple has one son, Matthew Chinedu Rodriguez, born in 2015. After the birth of her son, she proceeded to directing in 2015. Uche was once arrested for shooting a film in a police station without taking permission from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) at Surulere, Lagos. She founded the non-governmental organization Uche Jombo and You (also known as the Positive Minds project for youth), helping Nigerian youth.

CAREER

Uche Jombo is a prolific Nigerian actress, screenwriter, producer, director, and philanthropist who debuted in Nollywood in 1999 with roles in Visa to Hell and Adure. As a screenwriter, she has written and co-written several movies some of which include: The Celebrity, Games Men Play, Girls in the Hood, and A Time to Love. Her screenplay credits include Games Men Play, Lies Men Tell, Holding Hope, A Mother's Fight, Unconditional, A Time to Love, Be My Wife, and Celebrity. Jombo went on to produce the films Nollywood Hustlers, Holding Hope, and Damage, which deals with the issue of domestic violence. In 2008, she started executive production of her films through her Uche Jombo production company. She started directing in 2015, with the films Lost in Us, How I Saved My Marriage, and the Nollywood true-life drama Heaven on My Mind. Jombo is an ambassador for Globacom. She has appeared in over 250 films, often in leading roles addressing social issues. Notable acting credits include Games Men Play, Girls Hostel (2000), Fire Love (2002), Silent Scandals (2009 as Muky), Holding Hope (2010 as Hope), Damage (2011 as Sarah, highlighting domestic violence), Mrs Somebody (2012), Lies Men Tell (2013), Lost in Us (2016), Heaven on My Mind (2018 as Uju Peters), Blood Sisters (2022 miniseries as Uchenna), Shanty Town (2023), Onyegwu (2023 as Ngozika), Dr. Love (2023 as Dr. Love), and recent works like A Father's Love (2024), Mr Patrick Wahala in America (2024), Wives on Strike: The Uprising (2024), and upcoming Almost 25 (2025 as Aunty Oby) and Red Card (2025 as Dorothy).

Jombo founded the non-governmental organization Uche Jombo and You (also known as the Positive Minds project for youth). She has faced industry challenges, including a past arrest for unauthorized filming, but remains focused on elevating Nollywood through quality storytelling.