Talent doesn’t always announce itself when someone turns 18 or 21. Sometimes, it shows up much earlier in a child who can consistently create magic through speaking, writing, dancing, drawing, sewing, and even before reaching their teenage years.
Interestingly, most Nigerian parents have been seen to “catch them young” by identifying their potential early, nurturing their abilities and giving them room to grow. In Nigeria’s movie industry, there are already examples of young talents whose early exposure to performance, storytelling and the creative arts has opened doors to opportunities many only discover much later in life.
Take the Ikorodu Bois, for instance. What started as a fun family activity in 2017 grew into one of Nigeria’s most recognisable young creative groups. The Sanni brothers and their cousin began recreating popular music videos, movie scenes and trailers with everyday household items and sharing them on social media.
What looked like simple internet fun soon became a showcase of their acting, directing, editing and production skills, taking them from their neighbourhood in Ikorodu to international recognition.
The Sanni family’s connection to the screen did not stop there. Maleek Sanni later appeared as Young Obalola in Jade Osiberu’s Gangs of Lagos, earning the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Young/Promising Actor.
Stories like this show that age does not always determine how early talent can find its way into the spotlight. With the right opportunity, guidance and exposure, young people can begin building careers in the movie industry while they are still teenagers.
From promising actors already landing major roles to young performers steadily building a name for themselves, these six teenagers are showing that the next generation of Nigerian film talent is already here.
Darasimi Destiny Nadi
Darasimi Destiny Nadi is an award-winning Nigerian child actor, model and television host. She is known for her roles in Nollywood productions including Obara’M, Tokunbo, A Father’s Love and Aburo.
Born in September 2011, she began acting at a young age and has steadily built a reputation as one of the promising young faces in Nollywood. Her performance in Obara’M earned her a nomination for Best Young/Promising Actor at the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Awards, while in 2025, she became the youngest Nigerian actor nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).
Maleek Sanni
Maleek Sanni is a Nigerian actor and member of the popular creative group Ikorodu Bois, known for recreating movie trailers, music videos and pop-culture moments with everyday household items.
His transition from making viral social media recreations to professional acting came with roles in Aníkúlápó, Gangs of Lagos and Aburo. In Gangs of Lagos, Sanni played Young Obalola, a performance that earned him the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Young/Promising Actor.
Maleek’s story is perhaps one of the clearest examples of what “catch them young” can look like in Nigeria’s movie industry. A hobby that began with recreating scenes online eventually became a pathway into professional filmmaking, allowing him to discover and develop his talent early.
Simisola Gbadamosi
Simisola Gbadamosi is a Nigerian child actress and voice performer best known for voicing Tola Martins in Disney’s animated series Iwájú. Born on April 17, 2011, in Washington, D.C., Gbadamosi developed an interest in storytelling and animation before making her voice-acting debut in Iwájú in 2024.
She later voiced Binta in Weather Hunters and received a nomination for Outstanding Younger Voice Performer at the 2025 Children’s and Family Emmy Awards for her role as Tola.
Her journey is a reminder that young Nigerian talent is not limited to traditional on-screen acting. By finding a place in animation and voice acting early, Simisola is already building experience in a part of the entertainment industry with a global audience.
Fiyin Asenuga
Fiyin Asenuga is a Nigerian child actor, author, public speaker and content creator who has appeared in films including Mikolo, Finding Me, The House of Secrets and Muri & Ko. At 12, he has already appeared in more than 20 movies and created Act It Out by Fiyin, a children’s talent show designed to promote young people interested in acting.
What makes Fiyin’s story particularly interesting is that he is not only developing his own career but is also creating opportunities for other young talents. At an age when many children are only beginning to discover their interests, he is already acting, creating and using his platform to encourage others to explore theirs.
Khaira Bashir
Khaira Bashir is a Nigerian child actor and model who began her career in front of the camera at just four years old. She initially modelled for brands including Kellogg’s, Dettol, Cowbell and Golden Morn before moving into acting at the age of eight. She auditioned for Stan Nze’s Kids Can Act, where she emerged as a runner-up and received a Golden Ticket.
Since then, Bashir has appeared in Nollywood productions including Saving Onome, where she played Young Onome, Aso Ebi Diaries as Young Elizabeth, Inside Life and Temi and the Labalaba Band.
She was also one of the young actors featured at the 2025 Teen Actors Roundtable alongside Darasimi Nadi, Fiyin Asenuga and Simisola Gbadamosi, where the teenagers discussed growing up in the spotlight and navigating school alongside their acting careers in Nigeria’s movie industry.
Kosi Ogboruche
Kosisochukwu Samuel Ogboruche, popularly known as Kosi Ogboruche, is a 16-year-old Nigerian teenage actor who has been building his career in Nigeria’s movie industry since childhood. He reportedly began his acting journey after accompanying his mother, gospel artist Nkiruka Ogboruche, to an audition for the 2020 film Strain. Rather than simply accompanying her, Kosi decided to audition himself and landed the role of Young Ekene.
His early screen appearances include Strain and 5 is Company, but his breakthrough came with Courage Obayuwana’s Kill Boro. In the 2024 Prime Video film, Kosi plays Elijah, a young boy trying to protect his mother from his abusive father.
The role required him to handle emotionally demanding scenes alongside established actors, including Ini Dima-Okojie, Philip Asaya and Hilda Dokubo.
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