Omeche, A Benue Girl In Lagos

Creatives, Film and Photography, Stories 27/03/2022 by Omeche Oko

My name is Omeche Oko, I come from a family of 11-  my parents, 5 girls and 4 boys. I am a trained screen and stage actor who hails from the Idomaland of Benue state. I was born and brought up in the city of Jos, Plateau State. I schooled at Plateau Private Primary School (PPS), I went on to Baptist High School, Jos and finally, studied at the University of Jos. I am currently residing and working in Lagos State, Nigeria.

If I was not an actor, then I would definitely be behind the camera because one thing is for sure, the entertainment industry especially filmmaking is where I find peace and where I call home.

In 2018 I moved to Lagos State to professionally pursue my dreams in acting, this was very tough on me. The people behaved very differently from those I was accustomed to in Jos. They were not as warm and as hospitable. In Jos, in fact in the North in general, you can be a stranger and have a place to sleep and eat for free. You can ask for directions and someone will go out of their way to make sure you get there even at their own expense but in Lagos, I found myself being billed just for being shown the right direction. It wasn’t as rosy as I had expected. I was not prepared for the financial constraints of living in Lagos, The bills were just outrageous. The blazing heat compared to the cool weather I was used to and the food was so expensive. After attending several auditions, I was rejected severally and threatened, I lost hope and I left within a month. I stayed away for over a month but I couldn’t find happiness in everything else I tried to do so I made up my mind to move back to Lagos and give it my all. 

I came back to Lagos with confidence, courage and determination. I was no longer fazed by rejections, I saw them as an opportunity to better my craft and I did. A month after I got back to Lagos, after several auditions; I got a callback. I eventually landed a major role on an MTN advert which gave me great visibility. Shortly after,  I landed a role in a very popular Africa Magic series. Since then I have been featured in over thirty movies, short films, series, stage plays and commercials altogether. I have finally adapted to Lagos, I have learned to embrace the city and all its opportunities. I am truly grateful to God for growth and I want to encourage every other person out there who has a dream like mine to go for it. It’s better to try and fail than not to try at all.

View Omeche’s Acting Biography

I love to take up challenging roles that reflect differently from what I could easily be stereotyped as. Each time I am offered a job is an opportunity to study, go into the mind of the character and become the character. Recently Nollywoood has been breaking boundaries and exploring new territories and I am extremely grateful to be a part of it and witness it all. If I was not an actor, then I would definitely be behind the camera because one thing is for sure, the entertainment industry especially filmmaking is where I find peace and where I call home.

This is what we can do together

I was recently selected as a contestant on a reality TV show called Naijahoodrep and after so many years, I know it’s finally my time. I am sincerely appealing to the public and anyone who has a dream, to help me bring this win home, to be a part of my success story, to support me and help this Benue girl achieve her dreams. Thank you as you support this young Nigerian dreamer.

Connect with Omeche on:

Facebook | Instagram