Tolulope Adesua Etomi-Wellington (born 22 February 1988) commonly known as Adesua Etomi is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

actress and entrepreneur. She debuted her film career with '' Knocking On Heaven's Door'' (2014). Since then she has starred in several films and received many awards. Amongst them is the

2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards The 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) was held on March 5, 2016 at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. It was hosted by Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa and Minnie Dlamini. Nominees were revealed on December 11 ...

Early life and education

Etomi was born in

Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Nigeria, Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Loc ...

Imo State Imo () is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo R ...

, Nigeria, as the last out of three siblings. Her father is a soldier of Esan descent in

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

, and her mother, an Engineer of Yoruba descent. Etomi attended Corona School in

Victoria Island Victoria Island () is a large island in the Arctic Archipelago that straddles the boundary between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the eighth-largest island in the world, and at in area, it is Canada's second-largest i ...

, Lagos, and moved to Queen's College. At 13 Etomi left Nigeria for the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and had a diploma in physical and theatre art from the

City College Coventry City College Coventry was a further education college based in the city of Coventry, England. It was formed in 2002 through the merger of two previous colleges in the city, although through them it has roots going back to the 19th century. ...

in 2004. She further went to

University of Wolverhampton The University of Wolverhampton is a public university in Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, England, located on four campuses across the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Originally founded in 1827 as the Wolverham ...

in 2006, and studied arts and performance.

Career

Etomi's film credits include ''

The Arbitration ''The Arbitration'' is a 2016 Nigerian romantic drama film, written by Chinaza Onuzo, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, and produced by Chinaza Onuzo, Omotayo Adeola, and Zulu Oyibo. The film stars OC Ukeje, Adesua Etomi, Iretiola Doyle and Somkel ...

'', '' The Wedding Party'', and ''

Falling Falling or fallin' may refer to: *Falling (physics), movement due to gravity *Falling (accident) * Falling (execution) *Falling (sensation) People * Christine Falling (born 1963), American serial killer who murdered six children Books * ''Fal ...

''. Her performance in ''Falling'' earned her the 2016

Africa Magic Africa Magic is a collection of Pay TV entertainment channels that focus on African programming, most popularly Nigerian series and movies. ''Africa Magic'', which started off as single channel of the same name, is a brand owned by M-Net and no ...

Viewers' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama. Other notable films she has appeared in include ''

A Soldier's Story ''A Soldier's Story'' is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning '' A Soldier's Play''. It is a murder mystery set in a segregated regiment of th ...

'' (2015), '' Out of Luck'' (2015), and ''Couple of Days'' (2016). Etomi played Shiela in the fourth and fifth seasons of '' Shuga'', a television soap opera about

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

prevention. Etomi began starring as Amaka Obiora, an undercover police officer, in Yemisi Wada's crime series ''LasGidi Cops'', which debuted in June 2016 on television. She was also featured on

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

's list of 14 global superstars. In February 2022, she released her first single titled ‘So Natural’. In October 2023, she launched her beauty brand Sanaa Beauty which was founded with

Jemima Osunde Jemima Osunde (born 30 April 1996) is a Nigerian actress, model, and presenter. She gained exposure after playing Leila in the television series '' Shuga''. Osunde was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 15th Africa Movie Academ ...

Personal life

Etomi got engaged to

Banky W Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian-American singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Olubankole Wellington was bo ...

in February 2017. The couple held their traditional marriage on 19 November, a court wedding on 20 November and white wedding on 25 November 2017; the latter ceremony was held in

Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

. In early January 2021, Adesua and Banky W had a son named Hazaiah Wellington. In April 2021, Adesua and Banky W shared the story of their marriage and their struggles with conception and child bearing titled 'Final Say Faith'. This story was shared in the Waterbrook church. In 2024, the couple announced via Instagram the birth of their second child. Adesua was credited for saving the daughter of Nollywood actress

Iretiola Doyle Iretiola Olusola Doyle (born 5 May 1967) is a Nigerian actress, entertainer, TV presenter, writer and a public speaker. Early life and education Doyle was born on 3 May 1967 in Ondo State but spent her early years with her family in Boston, Un ...

from bullies. In March 2025, Adesua Etomi brought widespread attention to

Hyperemesis gravidarum Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a pregnancy complication that is characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and possibly dehydration. Feeling faint may also occur. It is considered a more severe form of morning sickness. Symptoms ...

by sharing her personal battle with the condition. Her candidness and advocacy raised awareness about the challenges faced by women with severe pregnancy-related illnesses.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Voice over

Awards and nominations

References

Notes

sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Etomi, Adesua Living people 21st-century Nigerian actresses Actresses from Imo State Alumni of the University of Wolverhampton Yoruba actresses Esan actresses Nigerian film actresses Nigerian television actresses Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom Queen's College, Lagos alumni Age controversies 1988 births Nigerian film producers Nigerian media personalities Nigerian women film producers