Chioma Akpotha, also known as Chioma Chukwuka, is an award-winning Nigerian actress and filmmaker who has appeared in over a hundred movies since the inception of her career. The Lagos-born actress is among the wave of Nigerian actors who have managed to keep their careers afloat and stay ahead of the competition in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Away from the hustling and bustling that comes with her work, Chioma is also a married woman and a doting mother of two children; a boy and a girl. The actress has managed to create a balance between her professional and personal life. Hence, her union with Franklin Akpotha is considered one of the long-standing marriages in Nollywood. But how has she been able to achieve all these? Read on to find out.
Chioma Akpotha was Born and Raised in Lagos State
Although she has come to be known as Chioma Akpotha or one of the Dubai Girls, the actress was born Chioma Chukwuka on March 12, 1980, in Lagos State. An Igbo by tribe, Chioma is the first of five children born to Chief Leonard and Grace Chukwuka, who are Anambra natives. She is an indigene of Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria.
Growing up, the actress spent her early years in Lagos State with her parents and four younger siblings, including two brothers, Tochukwu and Chiagozie, and two sisters, Ify Chuks and Oge Alfred. Sadly, she lost her mother, Grace Chukwuka, on May 22, 2013.
She completed her early education at Onward Nursery and Primary School, Lagos State, after which she moved to Anambra State, where she attended Federal Government College, Onitsha. After graduation, the actress attended Lagos State University, where she graduated with a degree in Banking and Finance.
She made Her Acting Debut in the Movie The Apple
Chioma Akpotha developed a passion for acting when she was very young, and this passion became a reality after her university education. Although she didn’t study any performing art courses, she wasted no time joining the Nigerian entertainment industry after graduation. Her first movie role was in The Apple, a Nollywood movie released in 2000.
In The Apple, Chioma played the role of a stubborn 17-year-old who felt she was overly ripe for marriage. With her outstanding performance and incredible character interpretation, the actress won the hearts of movie lovers and filmmakers. She also followed it up with two other appearances in Three musketeers and The Handkerchief, later in the same year.
For over two decades and still counting, Chioma Akpotha has since become a force to reckon with and one of the most respected actresses in Nollywood. According to records, she has, so far, starred in over three hundred (300) Nollywood movies. She has also received a few awards and several nominations.
Some of her most popular movies include Sins of the Flesh (2005), for which she won the Best Actress Award at the African Movie Academy Awards, Tears in my Heart (2006), Double Game (2007), World of Our Own (2008), Unforgiven (2014), The Lioness (2015), Wives on Strike (2016), The Tradition (2017), The Ghost and the Tout (2018), Nneka The Pretty Serpent (2020), Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020), etc.
Aside from Acting, She is also a Film Producer and Director
For a nearly three-decades-long career, Chioma Akpotha has undoubtedly made her mark in the Nigerian entertainment industry. With her sheer aptitude and undeniable passion, she now wears a hat with many feathers. Aside from being an actress, Chioma has equally directed and produced many movies, including the highly acclaimed blockbuster, On Bended Knees (2013).
Her other production credits include Cry of the Dead (2016), Choked (2017), Bird Watcher (2017), For Want of a Queen (2019), In Your Dreams (2019), Rain of Love (2019), and Dark Cloud (2019), among others.
Other Endeavors That Has made Chioma Akpotha a Household Name
Chioma Akpotha is a Speaker and Mentor
Away from the screens, the versatile actress has been mentoring young and aspiring actors and actresses through her capacity-building platform masterclass with Chioma (masterclasschioma.com). She launched the platform in January 2019, and it has been seeing to the effective coaching of young and aspiring actors by seasoned screenwriters, veteran actors, filmmakers, and other professionals in the industry.
She is one of the Stars of the Travel Competition “The Dubai Girls”
The Dubai Girls is a travel competition launched by four Nigerian actresses, including Chioma Akpotha, Omoni Oboli, Uche Jombo, and Ufuoma McDermott, in collaboration with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Currently, in its third edition, the show’s first edition was held in 2018, and the second was in 2019. The actress recently disclosed about the upcoming Dubai Girls trip via her Instagram.
For one to be eligible for the 2022 competition, you must purchase a traveling ticket to Dubai between September 4 and November 15, 2022, from any travel agent Nigeria duly registered with Dubai Tourism before August 12, 2022. However, all agents must submit a list of qualified candidates to the DET on August 13. On August 16, the Dubai Girls will select 12 winners over an Instagram Live Session.
Successful candidates will join the four actresses on a fun-filled trip to Dubai, packed with lots of fun and surprises, from September 6 – 11,2022. They will win a return ticket to Dubai for their companion, a 5-day Dubai experience with the Dubai Girls, and accommodation for two, including meals and access to other exciting activities.
She Has Signed Several Endorsement Deals with Top Brands
With over 6.2 million followers on Instagram alone and much more on other social media platforms, Chioma Akpotha has become a brand influencer and has signed several endorsements deals with top brands in Nigeria. So far, she has signed endorsements with popular brands such as Harpic Cleaner, Omo Detergent, Globacom Nigeria, Erisco Foods, Crown Premium Pasta, BettyBingo.ng, and Jenny’s Glow, among others.
Chioma Has Been Married to Franklin Akpotha Since 2006, and They Have Two Children
Chioma married Franklin Akpotha in 2006. How they met and started dating is not public knowledge. However, it is already known that Franklin does not have a career in entertainment. Besides his name, nothing much about Chioma’s husband is available in the public domain. Little wonder their union has stood the test of time, and they are regarded as one of the most iconic couples in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
For a union that has been going strong for nearly two decades, the couple has two adorable children, a son and a daughter. They welcomed their first child, a boy whose identity is unknown, in 2007. They later welcomed a daughter. However, her name and when she was born have never been disclosed by the actress. By our projections, their children should be currently in secondary. Despite her busy schedule, the actress has never failed to spend quality time with her husband and kids.
Since the inception of their union, Chioma Chukwuka has never been involved in any controversy. Many have attributed her keeping her family life away from the media as the secret to her long-lasting relationship. Perhaps, they can’t be more right. The mother of two has continued to be a model to upcoming actors and actresses in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
