Uzoamaka Power is a Nigerian actress, writer and director whose career has grown through acclaimed film and television projects. She first gained wider attention after joining MTV Shuga, before taking on roles in productions such as Ife, Riona, Diiche and Mami Wata.
Her performances have increasingly placed her in ambitious Nigerian productions with international visibility. She also moved behind the camera as a writer and director, expanding her career beyond acting.
Uzoamaka Power Early Life and Education
Uzoamaka Power was born Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh on April 10, 1990, in Onitsha, Anambra State. She grew up in Onitsha as the eldest of four children.
She studied English and History at the University of Nigeria before earning a master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Her academic background also connects with her work as a fiction writer.
Before establishing herself on screen, Power had already developed an interest in storytelling. Her fiction appeared in literary publications, with some of her writing receiving recognition from Nigerian literary figures.
How Uzoamaka Power Started Acting
Power returned to Nigeria in 2017 after completing her graduate studies in England. She later attended open auditions for MTV Shuga and secured the role of Cynthia.
The opportunity introduced her to a wider television audience. She continued working across television and short films, building experience before moving into more prominent film roles.
One of her early notable projects was Ife, where she played one of the central characters. Her performance earned the Kim Renders Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance at the Reelout Film Festival in 2021.
Uzoamaka Power Movies and Major Roles
Power gradually expanded her filmography with roles across different genres. Her credits include Stuck, Ananze and the Zipman, Sister Rose, Ponzi, A Naija Christmas, Mami Wata, The Weekend and With Difficulty Comes Ease.
Her role in Mami Wata became one of the defining points in her rise. The 2023 fantasy drama received major international attention, while Power earned an Africa Movie Academy Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
She later appeared in The Weekend, a 2024 psychological thriller directed by Daniel Oriahi. The film added another major feature to her growing body of work and earned Power a Best Actress nomination at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Power also featured in With Difficulty Comes Ease, playing a young widow navigating grief and cultural expectations. Her growing filmography shows a willingness to move between commercial productions, independent cinema and more demanding dramatic roles.
My Father’s Shadow and International Recognition
Another important stage in Power’s career came with My Father’s Shadow. Directed by Akinola Davies Jr., the 2025 film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The film received a Special Mention for the Caméra d’Or at Cannes. The recognition gave the project significant international visibility and placed Power’s work within a film that attracted attention well beyond Nigeria.
Power’s appearance in the film followed several acclaimed performances and reinforced her position as an actress working across both Nigerian and international-facing productions. Her role also added another important credit to an increasingly diverse filmography.
Uzoamaka Power as a Writer and Director
Acting represents only one part of Power’s creative career. She made her directorial debut with Love Language, a short film that she also wrote and starred in.
The film won the Jury Prize at Nollywood Week Paris and received a nomination for Best Short Film at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
She followed it with My Body, God’s Temple, another short film that she wrote, directed and starred in. The project formed part of the Zikoko Life anthology and further demonstrated her interest in controlling stories from both sides of the camera.
In 2026, Power also took a leading role in Call of My Life, a romantic comedy based on a screenplay she developed from an earlier idea about her experience as a call centre agent. She stars as Soluchi and wrote the film, adding another writer-actor credit to her growing profile.
Why Uzoamaka Power Is a Rising Nollywood Star
Uzoamaka Power’s career stands out because her growth does not depend on acting alone. She has built credits across television, independent films, major Nollywood productions, writing and directing.
Her appearances in Mami Wata, The Weekend, With Difficulty Comes Ease and My Father’s Shadow have connected her with increasingly prominent projects. Her work behind the camera also gives her another route for developing stories and shaping her creative identity.
That combination makes Power an interesting talent to follow within Nigeria’s evolving film industry. Rather than remaining within one role, she continues to expand her work across different parts of filmmaking.
Conclusion
Uzoamaka Power has developed from an MTV Shuga newcomer into an actress, writer and director with an increasingly international profile. Her performances in acclaimed Nigerian films have helped establish her as a distinctive screen talent.
With directing, screenwriting and major acting projects now forming part of her career, Power’s trajectory continues to move beyond conventional Nollywood acting. Her recent work suggests that the next stage of her career could be just as significant behind the camera as it is on screen.
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