Samuel Ajibola
Samuel Ajibola | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 26th Nigeria |
| Education | University of Lagos (B.Sc), Ajayi Crowther University (M.PA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor and Producer |
| Years active | 1995–2003, 2009–present |
| Known for | The Johnsons[1] Dele Issues |
| Website | samuelajibola |
Samuel Ajibolaⓘ is a Nigerian television and film actor as well as a director and producer.[2] He was first known for his role as a child-actor in the Opa Williams produced movie Tears for Love,[3] and best known as his role as Spiff in the Africa Magic TV series called 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 2014, he won the award for Best Actor at the In-Short International Film Festival.[5] Ajibola also won the 2017 AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Award) for best Actor in an M-net comedy series The Johnsons.[6] He is also a film producer and has been recognized as one of the top three most experienced Nigerian actors under the age of 40 with 30 years of experience in the Nigerian film and television industry.[7]
Early life and Career
Samuel Ajibola was born on the 26th of December 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 produced movie, Tears for Love.[8] 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.[8] In 2009, Ajibola made a return to acting in the Teco Benson produced and directed movie, The Fake Prophet alongside Grace Amah, while pursuing a degree in Political Science[9] at the University of Lagos,[3][4] after which he went for his National Youth Service programme.
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. He also starred in the 2018 movie Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons. Ajibola also earned a Master of Public Administration degree and further trained in acting and filmmaking at the Centre for Excellence in Film and Media Studies and the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Masterclass.[8][10]
Ajibola gained international recognition in his role as Spiff in the African Magic TV series The Johnsons. As of 2021 when Ajibola resigned from playing the role of Spiff after 9 seasons, his Spiff character had appeared in over 1500 episodes in the Africa Magic produced series The Johnsons, aired daily in over 50 African countries[11].
He launched his production career with the release of his mini web-series "Dele Issues" on the 10th March 2017.[6] In October 2017, he featured former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on the mini web-series, marking a historic crossover between Nigerian politics and entertainment.[12] In 2022, Ajibola took on a leading role in the recently aired Lasgidi series, portraying a character vastly different from Spiff and further showcasing his acting versatility.[7]
Beyond acting, Ajibola has become known as a socially conscious producer. He made history as the first Nigerian actor to produce a scripted skit featuring a former head of state.[7] He is also the founder of the Samuel Ajibola Foundation, an education-focused NGO dedicated to empowering underprivileged children in Nigeria.
Awards and recognition
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, becoming the first Nigerian actor to do so. In 2014, he won the award for Best Actor at the In-Short International Film Festival.[5]
In March 2017, Ajibola won the Best Actor in a Comedy Award at the 2017 AMVCA Awards.[6] Ajibola also won the Comic Actor of the Year Award at the 2017 City People Awards in October 2017,[13] and the TV Personality of the Year Award at the Africa Life-time Leadership Award in 2021.
Awards
| 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 |
| 2017 | West Africa Youth Award | Young Actor of the Year | Won |
| 2017 | The Future Awards Africa | Best Acting | Nominee |
| 2021 | Africa Life-time Leadership Award | TV Personality of the Year | Won |
Filmography
Movie roles
| 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 | Jealousy | 1999 film: featuring Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Rachel Oniga, and Emeka Ike | |
| 1999 | Street Kids | Feature Film | |
| 2001 | Hiding Place | Featuring Paul Obazele | |
| 2003 | Fried Beans | Feature Film featuring Chiwetalu Agu, Ngozi Nwosu and Chinedu Ikedieze | |
| 2009 | And Ike Dies Slowly | Feature Film | |
| 2009 | Roadside | Feature Film | |
| 2010 | The Fake Prophet | Inyang | Feature Film directed by Teco Benson |
| 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 | |
| 2015 | Father Son | Directed by Chris Eneagi: features Enado Odigie | |
| 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
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Don't Conceive | Short Film, currently on YouTube |
| 2014 | Sun Eje | Short Film, won the 2014 In-Short Movie Award for Best Actor |
| 2016 | Brainware | Short Film |
| 2018 | Armstrong | Directed by Ruyi Irabor |
Web Series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dele Issues | Ajibola's mini-series production debut; featured Olusegun Obasanjo | |
| 2018 | Mudhouse | Isdamas TV on YouTube |
Television roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Shuga (TV series) | MTV Base television Series | |
| 2013 | Keeping it Real | TV series | |
| 2016 | Ella's Paradise | TV series | |
| 2012–2021 | The Johnsons | Spiff | Africa Magic TV Series |
| 2020 | Ojukwu | Aku Jnr | ROK TV series; appeared in episode 301-312 |
| 2023 | Jay Jay: The Chosen One | Tayo / Banda (voice) | TV Series
13 episodes |
| 2025 | Lasgidi | Patrick | Directed by Gerhard Mostert and Dagogo Diminas |
References
- ^ a b "Actor talks playing 'Spiff' in "The Johnsons", career, Nollywood". PulseNg. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "How fatherhood completely changed my life - Actor Samuel Ajibola". Punch Newspapers. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Why Kid Acting Doesn't Thrive Here - Samuel Ajibola". AustinNaija. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Samuel Ajibola: Unearthing 'Spiff,' The official clown of The Johnsons". The Guardian Newspaper. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "Beyond Spiff: Samuel Ajibola's 30-Year Career As Actor and Producer In Nollywood". Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "I Don't Have A Crush On Anyone In Nollywood – Samuel Ajibola". etcetralive. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Actor Samuel Ajibola Reflects On Moments He Was Hilda Dokubo's Son". NigerianFilms. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ Edeme, Victoria (7 December 2021). "Actor Samuel Ajibola bags Master's degree, thanks Obasanjo for mentorship". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Celebrating Two Decades Of Africa Magic | DSTV Nigeria". www.dstv.com. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "FULL LIST OF WINNERS AT THE 2017 CITY PEOPLE MOVIE AWARDS". City People Magazine. Lagos, Nigeria. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.