I Wasn’t All About Pretty Face – Linda Ejiofor

For crushers and secret admirers, screen siren Linda Ihuoma Ejiofor is off the “shelf”. The delectable Nollywood actress is getting married and she announced this to the world on Sunday, November 4 through her Instagram page where she shared a number of pre-wedding photo shoots with her groom-to-be, Ibrahim Suleiman. Like a breeding ground for a number of love stories, the two met on the set of M-Net produced soap opera, Tinsel thus becoming the fourth Tinsel couple that would become man and wife in real world. In 2013, Iyke Okechuckwu and Florence Uwaleke were the first Tinsel pair to get married. In 2014, Damilola Adegbite and Chris Attoh got married while Osas Ighodaro and Gbenro Ajibade exchanged vows in 2015. Before this great announcement, Linda,32-year old University of Port Harcourt Sociology graduate, recently sat with FUNSHO AROGUNDADE and some journalists to discuss her role in the DStv’s new campaign, I Am.

What does the I Am DStv campaign mean to you as a creative person?

The campaign means a lot, it means actors, musicians and everyone in the creative eye can be someone if they put their mind to it. You can change in an instant, you can be on set and transform into someone else.

As an actress, what can you say about the role MultiChoice has played when it comes to telling authentic African stories?

MultiChoice has done a Fantastic job, telling authentic stories. They started with African magic original movies, then moved on the creating channels like African magic Epic, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa. That way not only are stories that are being told, people can relate with them, but also told in their mother tongues.

Do you believe that TV programs can connect us and make us closer as a people?

I believe TV programs can connect us and make us closer as people. For instance, those who know Checkmate, that show brought a lot of people together, you would see families running back home to go watch Checkmate or Fuji House of Commotion when it came out of Checkmate and Things fall apart. People can relate to the characters and say this happened to someone I know or myself.

How important do you think television programs are in fostering a spirit of oneness in Nigeria today?

MultiChoice is doing a fantastic job, they started with Tinsel; making sure people ran home on Sunday to watch the omnibus. Apart from Tinsel there are other shows coming up Eve, Ajoche and Battleground that people would always want to go home and watch. Asides movies, we have the reality shows like Big Brother, they always keep you glued to your TV and constantly keep people in conversation. MultiChoice is doing a fantastic job!

Do you feel any pressure or have any desire to break into Hollywood?

I don’t feel pressure, but I have the desire to break into Hollywood one day.

You’re known not only for your superb acting skills, but also for your style. Who’s your major fashion influence?

The first person that comes to mind is Rita Dominic, I love her fashion sense another person that is so daring and I sometimes wish I can be her is Ini-Dima Okojie then of course my friend, Adesua Etomi.

What is your take on celebrities who put their relationship on social media?

What I would say is to be yourself. You can tell what is right or wrong. If putting your relationship out there for people to see and admire is good for you, put it.

Do you believe that advice is okay given the rate at which many celebrity marriages crash?

I think everybody is handling their relationships the best way they can. It depends on them to decide how ever they want to handle their relationships.

Are you in a relationship?

I am single but not searching.

What will you say has been a defining moment for you thus far in your career?

The first time after Tinsel someone looked at me and said they could cast me in a movie, The Meeting, which is what won me my AMVCA award. I finally realised I had gotten the recognition I had wanted, I wasn’t just a pretty face, I could act.

Meet Ibrahim Suleiman, The Dude Who Stole Pretty Actress, Linda Ejiofor’s Heart

One of the most memorable social media moments of 2018 was definitely MTN’s ‘Man In The Box’ campaign. All of Nigeria was fascinated by the eccentric character who deemed a billboard fit as a perfect working space.

While the stunt may have come and gone, the moment remains within our frame of reference as a remarkable pop culture event. Many elements came to play to successfully carry out such an over the top project, but the most important factor of the winning equation was definitely the man
of the in the box.
His name is Suleiman Ibrahim Onimisi but all the cool kids on social media know him as Captain Quest. Born on the 25th of September, Ibrahim became an official member of the human race in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria.
Although he was birthed in Northern Nigeria, his state of origin is Edo State and the juxtaposition of these two cultures has gone more than a mile in informing his work as a performer. This is why apart from speaking well articulated English, Ibrahim also speaks Hausa and Pidgin.

As it turns out, the man in the box is also a jack of trades – TV presenter, event compere, actor, voice over artiste, digital artist, writer and architect.

As an actor, Ibrahim has played major characters in everything from movies like “Lucky Me”, “Ibukun”, “Chat Room”, “Up North”, and “For Closure” to taking on roles on mini and web series like Ebony Life’s “MMM”  and “Breaking Out”.

He currently plays a core character, “Damini White” on AFMagic Tinsel. He also plays “Cornelius”
on AFMagic E.V.E. and has had cameo appearances on AFMagic Jemeji.
When it comes to working with brands, Ibrahim is no novice. He has worked as a consultant to a handful of advertising agencies over the last decade on ad campaigns which had dance content, like the PING ME campaign for MTN, the iCre8 Ads for GTBank, MTN Pulse Ads, Verve, Malta Guinness and so much more.

He has also appeared in TV commercials for Peak Milk, GTBank, Malta Guinness, and MTN amongst others.  The role he is perhaps most popular for is being the “Man In The Box” for MTN’s SME campaign.

This project found Ibrahim staying a total of 87 hours straight in a billboard box and initiating a lot of conversation on social media.
From commercials to movies, Ibrahim continues to prove that he is one name to watch out for in the industry and will not be limited to one particular skill. Ibrahim is an ace at a great number of things; being placed in a box, however, is not one of them.