The Nigerian entertainment space often sees a crossover between acting and music. During their acting careers, some Nigerian actors did a little bit of music.
They recorded single tracks, some did EPs, and others made albums. Success varied; some tracks became cultural hits, while others were more novelty or fan-appreciated efforts.
Here are 10 Nigerian actors who have tried music during their acting careers: 
1. Tonto Dikeh
The Nollywood actress-turned-musician-turned-evangelist released singles like ‘Hi,’ ‘Itz Ova,’ and ‘Sugar Rush’ (featuring D’banj) around 2014.
For a while during her music era, she was signed to D’banj’s DB Records before returning primarily to acting. However, now facing ministry as an evangelist, she has released a couple worship songs.
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2. Tobi Bakre
Big Brother Naija star Tobi Bakre revealed in a recent interview that he tried music once and was featured in Syro’s ‘Japa,’ released in 2018. He rapped alongside Dremo on the track, but he seems to have focused on acting fully since then.
3. Genevieve Nnaji
The veteran Nollywood star once dropped a full album titled One Logologo Line in 2004/2005. The album’s lead single, titled ‘No More,’ was her hit feminist anthem. The music album was released under the Ghanaian label, EKB Records, and had eight tracks. According to her in an interview with Olisa Adibua, it was a management-driven move that generated some royalties, especially outside Nigeria.
4. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
The veteran actress released her debut album, Gba, in 2005. The album featured singles like ‘Baby Girl’, ‘Naija Lowa’, and ‘The Things You Do To Me.’
In 2018, during an interview with Saturday Beats, she said, “Did I tell anyone that I have retired from music? I hope to do a song with my son, but he is very stubborn.”
It has been more than seven years now, and we are still waiting for the collaboration.
5. Nkem Owoh (Osuofia)
Osuofia was one of the few highly successful ones in his music career. His songs were satirical and humorous, and people jammed to them. He sang successful songs like “I Go Chop Your Dollar,” “Susana,” “Know Me When I’m Poor,” and some others tied to his movies.
Earlier in the year, he released an album titled Obi Cubana, which has 17 tracks. His tracks are culturally resonant, and even those released in the early 2000s still remain popular.
6. Bisola Aiyeola
Bisola Aiyeola is a multi-talented actress known for her humorous acts. The MTN Project Fame contestant (2008) and Big Brother Naija (2017) housemate also once wowed us with her smooth vocals and songwriting skills in the songs she released.
In 2018, she released ‘The Playlist,’ her popular six-track EP, where she gave us a showcase of R&B and Afropop. ‘Boda Luku’ seemed to do better than others like ‘Heartbroken’, ‘Luchia’, and ‘Turn Off the Lights.’
7. Patience Ozokwor (Mama G)
Mama G and Osuofia could pass for besties in those days.
Mama G also released an album titled National Moi-Moi. The album included hit tracks like ‘Make We Jolly’, ‘Jolly Forget Your Sorrow’, and ‘Iyo Ngwo Ngwo’.
The songs were heavy with satire, humour, choreography, and social commentary. Like Osuofia’s hits, her songs had a strong mainstream impact at the time.
8. Jim Iyke
Nollywood’s finest bad loverboy also did a little bit of music. He released a debut album of rap songs, including ‘Who Am I’ featuring 2Face (2009) and ‘Born To Do This’ featuring Puffy T (2010), as an experiment to understand the industry.
He later admitted that the album was heavily criticised as the “worst album of the decade.” Iyke also mentioned that it was humbling for him because, being at a successful phase of his career then, he thought he “could do anything.”
9. Femi Jacobs
Femi Jacobs started in the entertainment industry as a gospel singer after being forced to learn to play the piano when his church’s pianist left the country. His notable gospel tracks include “Respect,” “Orun Si,” “Eledumare,” and features like “Incredible” with Tim Godfrey & Xtreme. Femi Jacobs is still actively releasing tracks.
10. Shaffy Bello
The delectable Shaffy Bello makes this list, too. She was featured in ‘Love Me Jeje’ by Seyi Sodimu, released in 1997, where she provided iconic female vocals. The song was later interpolated by Tems in 2024 under the same title. She also sang the song at the AMVCA Awards Night in 2024.
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