Chika Ike Biography: Inside The Life Of One Of Nollywood’s Finest

Chika Ike (born 8 November 1985) is a 38-year-old Nigerian actress, producer, TV personality, businesswoman, and former model who is best known for her roles in several Nollywood movies.

Hardly without any doubt, Chika Ike is one of the finest actresses the Nigerian movies industry has seen over the years. She has been on screen for more than two decades and has appeared in many films and TV shows that have made it to different parts of the world. The Nollywood actress has achieved her fair share of fame and glory in the professional aspect of her life, so much that her personal life has continued to attract attention from fans.

The Early Life Of The Actress And How Her Father Rejected Her At Birth

It was as Chikadebia Nancy Ike that the actress was born on 8 November 1985 in Nigeria’s commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra state. When she was born, her father had anticipated that he would have a son instead of a daughter, and so he rejected her. She revealed that although he was a good father to his kids and a good husband to her mother, she did not have a good relationship with her father.

The actress was raised by her parents simply identified as Mr. and Mrs. Ike together with her siblings, among whom is her older sister called Vivien Ike. Although many people had always believed the two to be twins, they are not.

Because of her poor relationship with her father, she learned early enough that everyone would always have to learn to stand for oneself because at the end of the day we’re always alone. She stated that she grew up with nothing and so it motivated her to keep working hard in her career and business.

A Closer Look At Her Family

Ike did not reveal what her parents did for a living, but she highlighted that her father was able to provide for the family. Even though her relationship with him at the early stages of her life was very rocky, they seemed to later get along. In 2012, she flew him to India for treatment of an undisclosed ailment.

Unfortunately, she lost him two years later in September 2014, he died in an undisclosed Lagos hospital, and also, it was not revealed if he died of the same ailment he was flown to treat in India. Her family was hit with another tragedy in 2016 with the loss of her mother. She took to her Instagram to make the announcement that she lost her mom and she was going to always miss her.

Apart from her older sister Vivian, Chika also has some other siblings but she has kept them away from the limelight. In particular, it’s said she has a brother but nothing is known about him.

She Has An MBA From Havard Business School

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When most people see Chika Ike, all they see is an actress, but she is also one who continued her education even after she began her showbiz career. The name of the primary school she attended has not been made known, but it is known that the Anambra-born actress had her secondary education at St. Francis Catholic Secondary School (SFCSS) in Lagos, Nigeria.

After she graduated, she remained in Lagos where she ran a 2-year diploma program at the University of Lagos (Unilag) in human kinetics and health education. She went on to earn a degree in human kinetics and health education from the same institution.

A year after her marriage ended in controversy, she went to the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, California where she studied film-making. Because of her interest which lies beyond appearing on screen, she had a major in film-making but also took courses in Production, Directing, and Editing.

At the start of 2018, she announced on her Instagram that she had completed an 8 months program with the Harvard business school‘s Program for Leadership Development. She got accepted into the institution in 2017 having tried and failed for the previous five years to have her MBA program.

Here is a quick rundown of the institutions she attended:

• St. Francis Catholic Secondary School (SFCSS)- Secondary school leaving certificate
• University of Lagos (Unilag)- Diploma certificate
• University of Lagos (Unilag)- Bachelor’s degree
• Harvard business school- MBA

How Chika Started Her Career As An Actress

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The celebrated Nigerian actress did not stumble into acting by accident. She has always had an interest in the craft since she was young. When she was only 6 years old, she took part in a church drama and that got her interested in acting as she loved it.

However, the first step she took into showbiz was as a model when she was 16 years old and freshly out of secondary school. She did not sustain her career as a model for a long time before she decided to shift her attention to acting. The talented star had her first recognized role as a professional actress in 2004 when she appeared in Standing Alone. Before then, she already had some minor and unrecognized roles. 2004 became the breakthrough year for the actress after she appeared in films such as Sweet Love and Paradise.

Thanks to films like Wisdom and Riches, To Love a Stranger, and What a mother, 2005 was even a bigger year for her. She also had one of her first lead roles in Bless the Child, starring alongside some legendary actors of the Nigerian film industry such as Segun Arinze, Fred Amata, and Sam Dede among others.

In 2006, she had multiple acting gigs after she had roles in The Seekers, While Chapel, and Emotional Blunders. Less than five years after she started, Chika Nancy Ike had already carved a niche for herself in the highly competitive Nigerian film industry.

Having gained all the necessary experience as an actress, she is now into other aspects of film making such as writing and production. Here is a look at some of her most recognized movie roles thus far:

• Small Chops- 2020
• Happy Ending– 2016
• Miss Teacher (2015)
• Secret Act (2014)
• Bridge of Contract (2012)
• The End Is Near (2012)
• Heart of a Fighter (2011)
• The Seekers (2011)
• White Chapel (2011)
• Street President (2010)
• Unstoppable (2010)
• Dangerous Beauty (2009)
• Eyes of the Nun (2009)
• Harvest of Love (2009)
• Before the Rain (2008)
• Desire (2008)
• Jealous Princess (2008)
• One More Kiss (2008)
• Royal Covenant (2008)
• Tears in Marriage (2008)
• Breaking News (2007)
• Emotional Risk (2007)
• Endless Tears (2007)
• Final Risk (2007)
• Gods of No Mercy (2007)
• Power of Beauty (2007)
• Royal Promise (2007)
• The Key of Happiness (2007)
• The Prince of My Heart (2007)
• Titanic Battle (2007)
• Mirror of Beauty (2006)
• Love Wins 2 (2006)
• My Only Girl (Video)
• Soul Engagement (2006)
• The Crusader (2006)
• Wisdom of the Gods (2006)
• Django (2005)
• Emotional Blackmail (2005)
• One God One Nation (2005)
• To Love a Stranger (2005)
• What a Mother… (2005)
• Paradise (2004)
• Standing Alone (2002)
• Wisdom and Riches  (2002)

She Has Ventured Into Many Other Businesses And Even Authored A Book

The star first rose as an actress and that is what most people still see her as. Nonetheless, she is now into many other things.

• Real Estate

She is a real estate developer but her career therein has not been highlighted very much. However, we have been able to gather little pieces of information about the strides she’s making in the property business. Following the completion of one of her properties in Lekki; 4 units of fully furnished 3 bedroom flat, her friends and fans took to social media to congratulate her.

• Cosmetics Line

She has a strong knack for business which drew her into having her own cosmetic company which she started in August 2019. The actress has her own line of makeup kits including her non-sticky lippies which are branded as Chika Cosmetics. She has come to build a considerable market for her kits and has a sizable following for it on social media.

• Book Publication

In 2018, she published her book “Boss Up” which she has done well in marketing since then. The work is sold on many major online platforms including Amazon, Konga, and Jumia.

• Clothing Line

Apart from her cosmetics line, she made her entry into the fashion industry in 2011 when she launched her clothing line, Fancy Nancy for which she also opened a boutique in Abuja. She published a series of photos to mark the launch of her clothing line.

• Reality TV Show

In addition to that, the actress also has her own reality TV show, African Divas (ADRS). The show has been running since 2015 and she is both the creator and the host. The TV show is a reality, docu-drama where ladies from all over the nation compete and are judged by Chika Ike and her panel of judges. The contestant who excels above others in various tasks in the show like sports, domestic skills, child-care, hospitality, entrepreneurship, and knowledge of Africa will emerge as the African Diva.

• Production Company

To add up to all she is involved in as an entrepreneur, the beautiful actress has her own production company, Flipscript Entertainment which is into a lot of other things apart from film production. Chika Ike’s Flipscript Entertainment does everything from PR and branding to social media management, production of commercials, and rental of equipment.

Which Brands Has Chika Ike Endorsed?

In the class of some of the biggest names in Nollywood such as Genevieve Nnaji, Mercy Johnson, Rita Dominic, and others, Ike’s talent has helped her to keep excelling in her career. Beyond that, it has also opened doors for her to get some endorsement deals with some amazing and big brands through the years.

She has kept some important details about the deals such as how much she earned from them and how they came about to herself. What is known is that some of the biggest deals she has include with the following brands:

• She was the brand ambassador of Bullet Energy Drink
• A deal with an unnamed brand in London.
• United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace

Does Chika Ike Still Act?

Today there are many more faces in Nollywood and so she doesn’t get to feature as much as she used to. More so, being an A-list actress in the industry, she is very selective in the type of productions she gets involved in. With that said, Chika Ike still acts, although she is also putting her energy into other ventures that also yield much for her.

The number of films and TV shows she has been a part of has greatly decreased over the years, but she is still yet to walk away from the movie scenes. Here are some of her latest productions as an actress:

• Small Chops (2020)
• The Only Way (2019)
• Dark Past (2017)
• Happy Ending (2016)
• Lape (2016)
• Miss Teacher (2015)

She was a major actress with many films to her name but most o the productions she appeared on were filmed before 2016. In total, the actress has appeared on more than 50 films and TV shows and has won many accolades in the process.

More than acting today, she is more of a filmmaker and producer who has gained respect for some of her works including Dark past (2017) which she produced and also starred in. The Only Way (2019) is another movie she produced, wrote, and appeared in.

She Is A Wealthy Woman Who Is Also Into Philanthropic Work

Thanks to her career as an actress and her many entrepreneurial ventures, the Nigerian actress has made a lot of money over the years. She currently has a  net worth that is estimated at over $1 million. Interestingly, while she is making money, Chika is considered one of the most successful actresses in the industry who does not shy away from giving back also.

She has been involved in various philanthropic works by directly giving or organizing charity events. She is reported to be organizing a charity event annually with the aim of raising funds to give scholarships to kids and also provide school materials including books and uniforms for students.

Chika Ike is behind the Chika Ike (Help A Child) Foundation. She started the foundation with the aim of assisting kids who are from poor backgrounds. One other philanthropic involvement that attracted the attention and praise of many was a 2012 street party she organized in order to feed street kids and provide toys and learning materials for them.

Unlike many other stars whose involvement in charity is short-lived or for the gram, Ike has been into various charity endeavors for more than a decade and she doesn’t seem like she is set to quit.

The Actress Has Marked Many Career Achievements And Clinched Many Awards 

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Close to two decades in the movie industry with over 50 productions to her name both as an actress and as a producer, Chika has gained respect both in the country and elsewhere. She has recorded many achievements in the past and has many awards on her shelf to show for all her hard work and talent.

The accolades she has received thus far are in recognition of her acting, production work, charity, personality, and even more. Here are some of the awards she has won:

• Best Actress – Calcutta International Cult Film Festival 2019 – Small Chops
• Best Actress – Actors Awards Los Angeles – 2019 – Small Chops
• Best Actress – New York Film Award – 2019 – Small Chops
• Best Actress – Oniros Film Award – 2019 – Small Chops
• Nollywood Fashion Icon of the Year- Cynosure Magazine Nigerian Fashion Recognition Awards (2013)
• Humanitarian Celebrity of the year- Lamodemag Green (2016)
• Most Disciplined Actress- Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Award (2013)
•  Best Actress – Donven Club Awards – 2011
• Best Role Model in Africa at the African Youth Society Award – 2009

She has also had many other nominations in the past for many awards such as the African Movie Academy Awards, City People Entertainment Awards, and ZAFFA Awards.