Daniel Etim Effiong
Nigerian actor, scriptwriter and film director
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daniel Etim Effiong, also Daniel Etim-Effiong[1] is a Nigerian actor and film director.[2]
June 24, 1988
AFDA Film School, South Africa
Daniel Etim Effiong | |
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| Born | Daniel Etim Effiong June 24, 1988 Jaji, Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| Alma mater | Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria • AFDA Film School, South Africa |
| Occupations | Chemical engineer, actor, scriptwriter, film director |
| Known for | Plan B (2019) |
| Spouse |
Toyosi Phillips (m. 2017) |
Early life and education
Etim Effiong was born in Jaji in Kaduna State, Nigeria. In his youth he lived in Benin City, Edo State; Lagos State; and Abuja. His father, former lieutenant colonel Moses Effiong, was sentenced to life imprisonment after being falsely implicated in the 1985 Mamman Vatsa Coup during the Ibrahim Babangida regime. He was sent to prison when Etim Effiong was one year old. His mother died when he was four years old on her way to visit her husband in jail.[3] Etim Effiong's father was released in 1993 and granted a full presidential pardon by president Muhammadu Buhari in 2020.[4][5][6]
He attended St. Mary's Private School in Lagos Island, Lagos State, followed by Government College, Ikorodu, also in Lagos State, for his secondary education. He obtained a degree in chemical engineering at the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Niger State. After a brief stint working as an engineer in the oil and gas industry, he went on to study filmmaking, screenwriting and directing at AFDA Film School in South Africa.[4]
Career
2010s
After quitting his oil and gas job, he became a content producer for NdaniTV.[7]
Starting in the early 2010s, Etim Effiong took on roles in a string of web and television series that included Goddammit It's Monday (2012), Gidi Up (2013), Assistant Madams, Castle and Castle (2018) and The Men's Club (2018).
In 2017, he directed a five-minute skit titled Prey featuring Tope Tedela and Odenike Odetola.[8]
In 2018, he made his feature film acting debut in the comedy drama New Money. His breakthrough came the following year in the Kenyan comedy film, Plan B, starring opposite Sarah Hassan and Catherine Kamau Karanja and playing a Nigerian CEO of a Nairobi-based company.[9][10][11][12] He won Best Actor in a Comedy at the 7th AMVCA awards 2020 for his role.[7]
2020s
In 2020, he made his directorial debut with Fish Bone, a short film that tackled the issue of drug counterfeiting, and starred alongside Shaffy Bello and Moshood Fattah.[13] That same year he appeared in Storm, another short starring Ike Onyema and Atteh 'SirDee' Daniel and directed by Michael 'AMA Psalmist' Akinrogunde.[14][15] Also in 2020, his first feature-length film was released, the Netflix documentary Skin, which explored the issue of colorism in Nigeria. It featured Beverly Naya who also served as its producer.[16][17][18]
In 2021, he starred in Collision Course, a Bolanle Austen-Peters film inspired by the #EndSars movement. That same year, he reprised his role in the second season of the Netflix legal drama series, Castle and Castle.[19]
He received the Best Actor award for his role in Kofa at the Africa International Film Festival in 2022 and was nominated for Best Actor at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards. He also received an Africa Movie Academy Awards nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Jolly Roger, a Netflix crime drama. He appeared in Blood Sisters, a thriller and Netflix's first original Nigerian series which reached the top 10 in 30 countries.[20] Selina, a made-for-YouTube release, was notable for being an early example of the financial viability of the streaming platform for Nollywood filmmakers. The film starred Etim Effiong and Bunmi Akingbola as two lovers from vastly different background. It was well received by audiences and was followed by Selena 2 and Selena 3 later the same year.[21][22]
In 2023, he starred in several films, including A Weekend To Forget, which performed strongly at the Nigerian box office;[23] the Niyi Akinmolayan film Mikolo, a live action and computer-animated family fantasy film; Different Strokes, a romantic drama by Biodun Stephen;[24] and Selina's Wedding, the fourth installment of the Selina film series.[25] He also starred in A Young Time Ago[26] and Lily of the Valley, a YouTube release co-starring Nancy Isime.
In 2024, he starred in Òlòtūré: The Journey, another Netflix limited series and sequel to the Mo Abudu produced drama Òlòtūré (2019).
In 2025, he directed and starred in The Herd, a thriller that follows the kidnapping of a group of people by gunmen posing as herdsmen. Released in cinemas in October, it debuted on Netflix on November 21, reaching number one on the platform's Nigeria charts.[27]
Filmography
TV shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Assistant Madams | 1 episode | ||
| 2019 | Castle and Castle | Mike Amenechi | [28] | |
| 2018– | The Men's Club | Lanre | [29] | |
| 2013 | Gidi Up | Folarin | [29] | |
| 2012 | Goddammit It's Monday | Womilee | 2 episodes | |
| 2021 | Castle & Castle | Mike Amenechi | 15 episodes | [30] |
| 2022 | Blood Sisters | Akin | 4 episodes | |
| 2024 | Oloture: The Journey | Tony | 3 episodes |
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The Herd | Also director | [27] | |
| Aso Ebi Diaries | Directed by Biodun Stephen | [31] | ||
| 2023 | Barage | Mide | Directed by Emmanuel Akaemeh | |
| Selina's Wedding | Reuben | with Bimbo Ademoye, Oluwaseun Ayinde | ||
| A Young Time Ago | Older Tayo | with Sophie Alakija, Omobola Akinde | ||
| A Weekend To Forget | Shima | Directed by Damola Ademola | ||
| Lily of the Valley | Bily | with Nancy Isime, Olaye Benjamin | ||
| Mikolo | Maleek (father) | Directed by Niyi Akinmolayan | [32] | |
| Different Strokes | Khalid | With Lateef Adedimeji, Shaffy Bello | ||
| 2022 | Kofa | Wale | Earned AFRIFF award and AMVCA nomination | [33] |
| Selina | Reuben | With Bimbo Ademoye, Ivy Antiev | ||
| Jolly Roger | Brume | Earned Africa Movie Academy Award nomination | [34] | |
| 2021 | Still Falling | Captain Lagi | Alongside Sharon Ooja | [35] |
| 2020 | Skin | Director | Documentary Featuring Eku Edewor and Beverly Naya | [36] |
| Storm | Storm | Short film alongside Diane Russet | [37] | |
| Fish Bone | Inspector | Shortfilm alongside Shafy Bello and Moshood Fattah | [38] | |
| 2019 | Òlòtūré | Tony | Alongside Beverly Osu, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Ada Ameh | [39] |
| Makate Must Sell | Gbenro | Alongside Igwe 2pac, Toyin Abraham, Diipo Adeusi | ||
| Plan B | Dele Coker | Lead role | [40] | |
| 2018 | New Money | Ganiyu Osamede | Alongside Dakore Akande | [41] |
| 2017 | Prey | Director | Short skit | [38] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Jolly Roger | Nominated | [42] |
| 2022 | Africa International Film Festival | Best Actor in a Drama, Movie Or TV Series | Kofa | Won | [33] |
| 2023 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy Drama, Movie Or TV Series | Nominated | [43][44] |