Who is Kemi Adetiba? Everything you need to know about the Nollywood powerhouse

Kemi Adetiba isn’t just making films she’s rewriting the rules. With every project, she blends grit, style, and storytelling that dares to go bold.

From The Wedding Party to King of Boys, she’s become one of Nollywood’s most electric voices, a director, writer, and showrunner who knows how to shake the table and keep us watching.

Now, with her latest project To Kill a Monkey set to drop on Netflix, Adetiba is stepping into new territory, no Sola Sobowale, no familiar formula, just a fresh, thrilling reinvention. But how did she get here? And what makes her vision so compelling?

Early beginnings 

Kemi Adetiba was born on January 8, 1980, in Lagos, Nigeria, to parents rooted in creative and technical professions, her father, Dele, was a broadcasting veteran, while her mother, Mayen, made history as both an actor-journalist and a pioneering civil engineer. 

As the only daughter in her family, Kemi grew up with two brothers and was drawn to storytelling from a young age.

Education

Initially on track to follow a legal career, she earned an LLB from the University of Lagos and attended Nigerian Law School, but her passion for narrative led to filmmaking. 

She later refined her craft at the New York Film Academy, gaining essential tools for her transition into visual storytelling .

Radio & television Career

Kemi began professionally as a radio presenter at Rhythm 93.7 FM, where she hosted popular shows like Soul’d Out and Sunday at the Seaside She later expanded into TV, notably on M-Net’s Studio 53, Temptation Nigeria, and anchored Maltina Dance All, becoming a familiar face across Nigerian screens.

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Music video direction

On graduating from the New York Film Academy, Kemi dove into directing music videos for top Nigerian artists, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, Waje, Omawumi, TY Bello, earning multiple awards, including Best Female Video at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards and nominations at The Headies.

Breakthrough in film

Her short film Across a Bloodied Ocean (2008), a student project, premiered at the Pan African Film Festival (Los Angeles) and National Black Arts Festival (Atlanta) 

Box office triumphs & TV series

• The Wedding Party (2016): Her first feature film broke Nigerian box-office records, raising over ₦400 million and premiering at TIFF 

• The Wedding Party 2 (2017): A sequel that sustained the momentum

• King of Boys (2018): A gritty political thriller that spawned a fan movement and critical praise.

• King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021): A seven-part sequel on Netflix, cementing her as a streaming powerhouse.

Entrepreneurial vision & mentorship

Beyond storytelling, Kemi launched Kemi Adetiba Visuals and co-created King Women, a web-series spotlighting female leaders across Africa in partnership with platforms like EbonyLife Creative Academy

Personal life

Her family roots in arts and media deeply influence her work. She married Oscar Heman-Ackah in April 2022, an advertising and music executive from Ghana, in a celebrated ceremony attended by Nollywood luminaries.

Kemi Adetiba remains among Africa’s most creative forces, melding ambitious storytelling, mentorship through King Women, and evolving narratives for streaming. From record-shattering box office returns to Netflix’s crime-epic To Kill a Monkey in July 2025, her meteoric rise traces a path of ingenuity, impact, and cultural resonance.

Kemi Adetiba’s journey from legal school to globally acclaimed filmmaker is a testament to her bold evolution: from radio waves and music videos to epic film franchises and mentorship. 

She is not just telling Nigeria’s stories, she’s defining what African cinema looks and feels like for the world.

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