In Nollywood, there will never be a shortage of badass women. From the ones fighting to live life the way they want, to the criminal masterminds dominating every room they walk in, here are all the times Nollywood reminded us that women are all that and a little more.
Alhaja Eniola Salami in King of Boys 1 & 2
It’s only right we start this off with THE King of boys. Eniola Salami came into the game with nothing and built an empire. She ran circles around all the men that underestimated her,and even when it looked like she had met her end, she still came out on top.
Kemi Salami in King of Boys 1
Kemi Salami lived a short life, but she lived it well. She didn’t take crap from anyone, and made sure everyone understood not to mess with her or her mother. She was a force to reckon with.
Isoken in Isoken
In a country that looks down on unmarried women past a certain age, Isoken found a way to live life on her own terms. She did what she wanted, fell for the person her heart chose, and refused to let anyone have a say in her life and happiness. Even when the loudest person was her mother.
Adaeze Obiagu in Lionheart
Adaeze had to constantly remind herself of who she was and what she had. She was constantly trying to figure out how to keep her father’s company afloat, even while working through all the self-doubt and insecurities that tried to sideline her goal. One of the baddest for real.
Lulu in Potato Pohtato
Unhappy in her marriage, Lulu divorced her husband, but instead of leaving him in the house they’d built together, she decided to stay there without a care in the world. Good for her, because she poured her money and sweat into it and deserved to live there too.
Enakhe and Jacinta in Enakhe
Enakhe and Jacinta had to take over their fathers’ criminal dealings after their fathers’ deaths. They fell in love, fell out of it, built families, ran their gangs with iron fists and fought anyone in Edo state that dared to question their authority, all without breaking a nail.
Ebere in The Mystic River
A heavily pregnant Ebere found herself at the mercy of spiriutal forces and had to fight to protect herself, her husband, and their unborn child. She goes through the series using one hand to fight off these forces and the other to discover new, chilling facts about herself.
Matilda Rishante in The Rishantes
The matriarch of her family and Nigeria’s first female senate president, Matilda
moves around with her head up high because she knows she’s the one, and no one can tell her otherwise. She put her family and business on the map and earned her seat in government. Anyone who didn’t like it could get lost.
Sista in Sista
It doesn’t get more badass than Sista. She fought hard to create a good life for her children, and worked her fingers to the bone take care of them. We got goosebumps when she threatened Fola and told him no one could take them from her.
Kemi in Blood Sisters
We’re absolutely here for Kemi and the lengths she went to protect Sarah. From accidentally murdering her abuser, to running from the police, Kemi decided Sarah was her sister, and if she didn’t have enough strength to fight for herself, she was going to fight on her behalf.
Aiyetide in This Lady Called Life
After being tossed out of her mother’s house and having her baby, Aiyetide still fought. She fought through her demons and the trauma of her past to realise her dream of becoming a chef, and in taking care of her son.
