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Samuel Ajibola

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Samuel Ajibola
Born33 Or 34
Nigeria
EducationUniversity of Lagos
OccupationActor
Years active1995–2003, 2009–present
Known forThe Johnsons[1]
Websitesamuelajibola.com

Samuel AjibolaListen is a Nigerian television and film actor.[2] He is best known for his role as a child-actor in the Opa Williams directed movie Tears for Love,[3] as well as his role as Spiff in the Africa Magic TV series The Johnsons.[1] Ajibola is also famous for being the first Nigerian child actor to win the award for Best Kid Actor for three years in a row.[3][4] In 2017, he won the AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Award) for best Actor in an M-net comedy series The Johnsons.[5]

Early life

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Ajibola was born in Mazamaza, Lagos State. He is the first of four children of Commander Lanre Ajibola and Mrs Irene Ajibola.[4] He is of Yoruba descent and hails from Ekiti State.[4] Ajibola began his acting career in 1995 at the age of 6 in the Opa Williams directed movie, Tears for Love.[6] He got the role, after he had impressed his aunt, Moyinoluwa Odutayo, herself an actress, during a stage play in Church.[3] He went on to feature as a child actor in other feature films including Without Love, Shame, Eye-witness, Onome II, Conspiracy, Street kids and Day of Reckoning. In 2003, he took a hiatus from acting to finish his high school education[6] and pursue a degree in Political Science[7] at the University of Lagos,[3][4] after which he performed his National Youth Service programme. He also acquired a degree in acting from Amaka Igwe's Centre for Excellence in Film and Media Studies.[6]

Career

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In 2009, Ajibola made a return to acting in the Teco Benson produced and directed movie, The Fake Prophet alongside Grace Amah. In 2013, he featured in the MTV Base produced television series, Shuga.[3] He has also featured in several Nigerian box office movies including Last Flight to Abuja with Omotola Jalade Ekeinde,[3] The Antique alongside Kiki Omeili, Judith Audu and Gloria Young. As of 2016, he had played the role of Spiff, a character in the Africa Magic produced television series The Johnsons for four seasons. He also starred in the 2018 movie Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons.

Ajibola made his production debut with the release of his web series "Dele Issues" on 10 March 2017.[5] In October 2017, he featured former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on the web series.[8]

Awards and recognition

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In 1996, Ajibola won the award for Best Kid Actor at the Rhema Awards for his role in the movie Eye-Witness, an award he went on to win at the 1997 and 1998 Reel Awards for the movies Onome II and Day of Reckoning respectively. In 2014, he won the award for Best Actor at the In-Short Movie Awards.[9]

In March 2017, Ajibola won the Best Actor in a Comedy Award at the 2017 AMVCA Awards.[5] Ajibola also won the Comic Actor of the Year Award at the 2017 City People Awards in October 2017.[10]

Awards

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Year Event Prize Result
1996 Rhema Awards Best Kid Actor (Eye-Witness) Won
1997 Reel Awards Best Kid Actor (Onome II) Won
1998 Reel Awards Best Kid Actor (Day of Reckoning) Won
2014 In-Short Movie Awards Best Actor (Sun Eje) Won
2016 Nigerian Reliable Iconic Awards Best Actor in a Comedy (The Johnsons) Won
2017 AMVCA Best Actor in a Comedy (The Johnsons) Won
2017 City People Entertainment Awards Comic Actor of the Year (The Johnsons) Won

Filmography

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Movie roles

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Year Title Role Notes
1996 Tears for Love Feature Film featuring Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Produced and Directed by Opa Williams
1996 Without Love Feature Film featuring Hilda Dokubo
1996 Eye-Witness Feature Film
1997 Onome II Feature Film
1998 Day of Reckoning Feature Film
1998 Conspiracy Feature Film; Directed by Ndubuisi Okoh, featuring Onyeka Onwenu
1999 Shame Feature Film
1999 Street Kids Feature Film
2009 And Ike Dies Slowly Feature Film
2009 Fried Beans Feature Film featuring Chiwetalu Agu, Ngozi Nwosu and Chinedu Ikedieze
2009 Roadside Feature Film
2009 Hiding Place Feature Film featuring Paul Obazele
2009 The Fake Prophet Inyang Feature Film directed by Teco Benson
2010 Jealousy Feature Film; featuring Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Rachel Oniga and Emeka Ike
2012 Last Flight to Abuja Jimi Feature Film; Directed by Obi Emelonye, featuring Omotola Jalade Ekeinde
2013 Small Moving Parts Feature Film
2015 The Antique Feature Film featuring Judith Audu, Kiki Omeili, Akpororo
2018 merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons Abdul Action/Comedy film
2019 The Call Augustin Feature film featuring Woli Arole
2021 Patrick Syndrome Collins Directed by Adeoye Omoniyi
2022 Jungle Short Drama

Directed by Malik Afegbua

Short films

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Year Title Notes
2014 Don't Conceive Short Film, currently on YouTube
2014 Sun Eje Short Film, won the In Short Movie Award for Best Actor
2016 Brainware Short Film

Television roles

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Year Title Role Notes
2013 Shuga (TV series) MTV Base television Series
2013 Keeping it Real TV series
2016 Ella's Paradise TV series
2012–Present The Johnsons Spiff Africa Magic TV Series
2023 Jay Jay: The Chosen One Tayo / Banda (voice) TV Series

13 episodes

References

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  1. ^ a b "Actor talks playing 'Spiff' in "The Johnsons", career, Nollywood". PulseNg. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  2. ^ "How fatherhood completely changed my life - Actor Samuel Ajibola". Punch Newspapers. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Why Kid Acting Doesn't Thrive Here - Samuel Ajibola". AustinNaija. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "Samuel Ajibola: Unearthing 'Spiff,' The official clown of The Johnsons". The Guardian Newspaper. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "AMVCA 2017 Best Comedy Act Winner, Samuel Ajibola, set to introduce new comedy skit series 'Dele Issues'". Daily Tribune. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "I Don't Have A Crush On Anyone In Nollywood – Samuel Ajibola". etcetralive. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Actor Samuel Ajibola Reflects On Moments He Was Hilda Dokubo's Son". NigerianFilms. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Meet Samuel Ajibola, from Best Child Actor, he is all grown now still proving to be a Master of his Craft". Vanguard Newspaper. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Meet Samuel Ajibola, from Best Child Actor, he is all grown now still proving to be a Master of his Craft". Judith Audu Blog. Lagos, Nigeria. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  10. ^ "FULL LIST OF WINNERS AT THE 2017 CITY PEOPLE MOVIE AWARDS". City People Magazine. Lagos, Nigeria. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.