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Beloved Nollywood actress, Chidi Ihezie Okafor, now sings for the kingdom

By Shaibu Husseini
13 January 2018   |   4:24 am
It is official. Popular Nollywood actress, Chidi Ihezie Okafor, has found a new passion- singing for the kingdom.

It is official. Popular Nollywood actress, Chidi Ihezie Okafor, has found a new passion- singing for the kingdom.

The star of countless home movie productions, who rose through the ranks to become one of the popular faces on the Nigerian home movie turf, has joined the ranks of Nigerian acting celebrities that combine acting with singing.

A native of Obowo Council of Imo State, but married into the culture of the Isekenesi people of Ideato South Council, Chidi has just released a 10 tracker gospel album, titled, Limitless Jesus, which is currently enjoying air play.

A Mass Communication graduate of Oko Polytechnic in Anambra State, Chidi has also been performing the songs live at special events. She said for her, it is beyond the passion or developing the passion to sing.

“The songs in the album, Limitless Jesus, came to me as soon as the inspiration came from God.

“Having given my life to Christ, I have come to serve him in truth and in spirit. And as a lover of evangelism, I do go and preach to people about the kingdom of God, but because I don’t get to see a good number of people all the time, I asked God to show me another way of talking to many people about his faithfulness.

“That is how the inspiration came,” she disclosed, shortly after her spectacular performance at last year’s Legends of Nollywood Awards (LNA).

Asked how she was able to compose all 10 tracks in such a short time, Chidi replied: “God filled my mouth with the songs.

“Also, the more I studied the word of God, the more the inspiration came and the more He filled my mouth with songs. And whatever He starts, He is ever so faithful to finish it. That is how the songs came.”

An actress, wife and mother, Chidi stated that she has found herself doing much more now, since she has to combine acting with singing and taking care of the home front, adding: “I have been going for shows and I have been performing in churches too and the reception has been awesome.

“But I have been able to manage my time because the joy of the Lord is my strength. He is my master planner and my organiser, so I believe He will see me through.

“Also, He gave me a good and understanding hubby, who understands me and my profession and he helps out too. My Children have come to believe in me as their best mother.

“So, I give God glory for that. I mean, when time for acting comes, I would do it and when it is time to perform, I will also go and do it. It does not stop me from being the best wife to my hubby and the best mother to my children.”

The second girl and the fourth in the family of 10, her childhood ambition was to become a newscaster, admiring to see Ruth Benemesia Opia and Eugenia Abu read the news. This was what inspired her to study Mass Communication.

However, it was while in school in Oko that Chidi discovered that she could do more than just reading the news. It was a chance encounter with the veteran actor of the New Masquerade fame, Davis Ofor, aka Clarus, during her compulsory industrial training programme in the late 1990s that got her interested in acting.

Offor, then a staff of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Aba, had called her up to help out with a role in a drama production he was putting together. Just that outing and Chidi was hooked to acting.

Her first time on a movie set was when she sourced for and secured a role to play the wife of Idejimba in a movie of the same title.

She was later auditioned and cast to play a sub lead in the movie, Authority, starring Patience Ozokwo and Charles Okafor. It was then that her acting light started to shine.

But the big break for Chidi came after she starred in the Igbo language movie, Igbudu, featuring the comic actor, Nkem Owoh, who is popular as Osoufia. She rode on the back of the success of that movie to clinch other lead roles, including featuring in Authority, which she repeatedly admitted launched her into reckoning; Oh My Baby; My In-law; Apology; Billionaires Club; I am in Love; and Who is my Friend; among others.

Asked to state her career ambition, Chidi, who declared that she would never quit acting, said her career wish is to remain relevant and to carry on with preaching the message of redemption through singing.

“First of all, I can never quit acting; I will always create room to deliver whenever I get scripts.

“Secondly, it will be my wish to see all the messages am passing through my music to go round the world, so that people who do not believe will listen to my messages and believe and at the same time be saved, repent and have their salvation by his Grace.

“I also wish that my stewardship in the kingdom of God would immensely contribute in the expansion of kingdom of God,” she enthused.

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