US-based Nigerian actress Folake Olowofoyeku was recently conferred with two chieftaincy titles in her hometown of Imo, Ilesa, Osun State.
The actress, who did not disclose the exact date of the coronation, shared videos from the traditional ceremony on her social media pages.
According to Olowofoyeku, who is best known for playing Abishola in the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola, she was installed as Yeye Oba and Yeye Atayese, titles that translate to “King’s Female Chief” and “Peacemaker,” respectively.
In the videos that surfaced on social media, the actress, dressed in white traditional attire with orange regalia, underwent the customary rites. One of the rituals involved placing chieftaincy leaves into her crown.
She also performed the traditional gun shooting ceremony, which formally announced her new status as a chief.
Olowofoyeku was born on October 26, 1983, in Lagos. She is the youngest of 20 children of Babatunji Olowofoyeku, a politician and lawyer, and his wife Felicia. Her name honors Folake Solanke, Nigeria’s first female Senior Advocate.
She attended Igbinedion Education Centre in Benin City before moving to Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls in Ikeja, Lagos, and later Oxbridge Tutorial College. At 18, she relocated to the United States, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre from the City College of New York after initially studying economics.
Olowofoyeku has acted in films and TV shows such as Death Race 2050, Transparent, Modern Family, and 30 Rock. She became widely known in 2019 when she starred as the lead in Bob Hearts Abishola, a CBS comedy created by Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky, Al Higgins, and Gina Yashere.
The show, which centred on the relationship between a Nigerian immigrant and an American businessman, ended after its fifth season in May 2024.
In January, Olowofoyeku spoke about the colourism and ridicule she faced growing up in Nigeria because of her dark skin, facial features, and lips.
She said the abuse was a constant part of her childhood. However, she noticed that things changed after she moved to the United States at 18, where people began to compliment her appearance.