Yoruba cinema has few faces as familiar as hers. Fathia Balogun, who now goes by her maiden name Faithia Williams, is a Lagos-born actress, producer and director who has spent more than two decades in Yoruba-language films. She won a Best Indigenous Language (Yoruba) award at the 2015 AMVCA, played Erinfunto in Netflix’s Jagun Jagun, and in May 2026 released her first big cinema production, Efunroye: The Unicorn. Here’s her story, from her family and marriage to Saheed Balogun to her children, films and the disputes that made headlines.
| Date of Birth | February 5, 1971 |
|---|---|
| Age | 55 years |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Occupation | Actress, Producer, Director |
| Also Known As | Faithia Williams, Faithia Balogun |
| Place of Birth | Ikeja, Lagos State |
| Roots | Urhobo, Delta State |
| Ex-Husband | Saheed Balogun (2000-2014) |
| Children | Aaliyah and Khalid Balogun |
| Education | Kwara State Polytechnic |
| Notable Films | Jagun Jagun, Anikulapo, A Tribe Called Judah, Efunroye: The Unicorn |
| Major Award | AMVCA Best Indigenous Language (Yoruba), 2015 |
Bobby Brown
Fireboy DMLBiography
Faithia Williams was born on February 5, 1971, in Ikeja, Lagos State. She confirmed the date herself in February 2026, when she wrote on Instagram, “Dear friends, it was my 55th birthday on Thursday, February 5.” Her family roots are Urhobo, from Delta State, and she grew up in a large polygamous home of nine children.
She went to Maryland Primary School and Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School in Lagos, where she earned her West African School Certificate. She then studied for a diploma at Kwara State Polytechnic. In 2016 she went back to school, gaining admission to Olabisi Onabanjo University to study film.
Acting was not the family plan. According to Legit.ng, her father wanted her to become an accountant, while she dreamed of broadcasting. She found her way into films by chance, when her uncle, the filmmaker Alhaji Fatai Teniola, asked her to stand in for an actress who failed to show up. Her first role was in the film Ta Lo Pa Chief.
Her parents died within two years of each other. She announced her father’s death on Instagram on April 23, 2024, and he was buried with Islamic rites. Her mother, Gloria Uzoamaka Williams, died at 78 on the eve of Fathia’s 55th birthday party in February 2026. The family kept the news from her until after the party, and she later described her mother as “my cheerleader, prayer warrior, best friend, and gist partner wrapped in the invaluable gift of a mother.”
Career
Fathia Balogun’s career took off in Yoruba home video in the 2000s. Early titles include Eku Eda (2006), Aje Meta and its sequel (2008), Farayola (2009), Okunkun Biribiri (2010) and Jelili (2011). By 2012 she was big enough for brand work, and Channels Television reported that April that she had signed a multi-million naira ambassador deal with the Suru Group.
She also became a producer. Iya Alalake, a comedy she produced and starred in, won Best Indigenous Language (Yoruba) at the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. That same year she appeared in Awawu with Muyiwa Ademola, along with Teni Teka and Omo Ale.
From 2017 her name began to appear in English-language Nollywood hits as well. She played Ms Ajoke in 10 Days in Sun City (2017), Iya Abdul in Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons (2018) and Iya Mulika in Kunle Afolayan’s Mokalik (2019). In November 2017 she told Broadway TV that she had signed with a new management team that was rebranding her. “I love my job, I love my career,” she said in the same interview.
The 2020s brought her biggest screen roles. She played the Ojumo Queen in Aníkúlápó (2022) and Mama Caro in A Tribe Called Judah (2023). Other credits from this period include Esin, Osun the Goddess and President Kuti (all 2021), Beast of Two Worlds (2024), and Owambe Thieves and Labake Olododo (2025).
Jagun Jagun
Her role as Erinfunto, the wife of the warrior Ogundiji, in Femi Adebayo’s Netflix epic Jagun Jagun (2023) gave her career a second wind. Speaking at a gathering in August 2023, she credited the film with a comeback. “Jagun Jagun has brought back my confidence. It has brought back my fame. It has brought back my fans,” she said, according to The Podium Media.
She also praised Femi Adebayo for pushing her as an actress. “He wanted to see another side of me in my craft,” she said. “I’ve worked with him in so many movies but I think Jagun Jagun is my number one.”
Efunroye: The Unicorn
Efunroye: The Unicorn is her first major cinema release as a producer. The historical drama is based on Madam Efunroye Tinubu, the 19th-century Lagos merchant and kingmaker, with Fathia in the lead role. It opened in cinemas on May 1, 2026, and took ₦29.5 million in its opening weekend, according to The Nollywood Reporter. That placed it second at the Nigerian box office that weekend.
The cast is packed with Yoruba film stars. It includes Odunlade Adekola, Mercy Aigbe, Eniola Ajao, Ibrahim Chatta, Muyiwa Ademola, Femi Adebayo, Femi Branch, Taiwo Hassan and her ex-husband, Saheed Balogun. Abbey Lanre, Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo Salami directed it.
Controversies and Disputes
The longest-running story of her public life is her split from Saheed Balogun. Saheed filed for divorce at the Lagos High Court in April 2013, years after the couple began living apart in 2006. In December 2013 the two denied reports that they were in court over the right to use the Balogun name, and the divorce was finalised in 2014.
She also had a long feud with Iyabo Ojo. The two settled it in January 2022, when Iyabo posted photos of them together and wrote, “It’s all peace & love.” Iyabo thanked MC Oluomo and Olaiya Igwe for bringing them back together.
In 2024 she accused Funke Akindele of blocking her on Instagram, according to Legit.ng. The two later made up. Funke turned up at her 55th birthday party in February 2026, and when bloggers later suggested a fresh fallout, she pushed back and pointed out that Funke had greeted her at the party.
Efunroye: The Unicorn drew two kinds of heat in 2026. Some critics questioned how the film handled Efunroye Tinubu’s links to the slave trade, and she replied that it was not meant to “glorify or whitewash” her legacy. She called it “a work of artistic interpretation and storytelling.”
Then, on May 29, 2026, she posted a video on Instagram complaining that cinemas were giving the film late-night slots instead of daytime screenings. “I do not know what is happening,” she said, as Premium Times reported. She asked fans to watch it while it was still showing, warning that low turnout could leave her in debt from production costs. Days later she thanked supporters for turning out.
On July 12, 2026, TikTok posts falsely claimed she had died. Her management quickly shut the story down. “Faithia Balogun is alive, hale, healthy, and in good spirits,” the statement said. “There is no truth whatsoever to the rumours of her death or any illness.”
Awards and Nominations
Her most cited win came at the 2008 Africa Movie Academy Awards, where she was named Most Outstanding Indigenous Actress and her film Iranse Aje took Best Indigenous Film. In April 2014 she won Best Actress at the Yoruba Movie Academy Awards, with Odunlade Adekola taking Best Actor, according to Vanguard.
At the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, held on March 7, 2015, at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, Iya Alalake won Best Indigenous Language (Yoruba). She produced the film and played its lead role.
Personal Life
Fathia married actor and filmmaker Saheed Balogun in September 2000. During the marriage she took his surname and became known as Fathia Balogun, the name most fans still use. The couple separated in 2006, and their divorce was finalised in 2014.
The two have stayed on good terms. They danced together at Mercy Aigbe’s 40th birthday party in 2018, their first public appearance together since the divorce. In 2026 Saheed acted in Efunroye: The Unicorn and joined her to promote it. At the premiere she thanked him, saying “thank you for the support, thank you for the advice,” according to Premium Times.
In a July 2020 interview with TVC, she explained how they still relate. “He’s my ex. He’s my kids’ father and he’s my colleague,” she said. “He’s an amazing father.”
Fans often ask whether Fathia Balogun has a new husband. She hasn’t remarried, but she has said she’s open to it. “I will marry again. You cannot tell me not to marry again,” she told TVC, adding, “If I find love, I will marry.” When the host pressed her, she admitted, “There is someone,” and promised to let fans know when wedding bells ring.
Videos of the exes dancing together while promoting Efunroye sparked fresh reunion talk in 2026. She addressed it in July 2026. “I am a very private person, so I don’t bring all my issues to social media,” she said. “We are at peace, there is no beef, and there is no conflict in my family.”
Children
She has two children with Saheed Balogun, a daughter named Aaliyah and a son named Khalid. Aaliyah was born on April 6, 2001, which makes her 25. Speaking to Broadway TV in 2017, she put it simply: “I have two kids for him.”
Timeline
1971: Born on February 5 in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Early years: Attends Maryland Primary School and Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, then Kwara State Polytechnic.
Early career: Enters films as a stand-in on a set run by her uncle, Alhaji Fatai Teniola; first role in Ta Lo Pa Chief.
2000: Marries Saheed Balogun in September.
2001: Daughter Aaliyah is born on April 6.
2006: Stars in Eku Eda; she and Saheed separate.
2008: Named Most Outstanding Indigenous Actress at the Africa Movie Academy Awards; stars in Aje Meta.
2012: Signs a multi-million naira ambassador deal with the Suru Group (April).
2013: Saheed files for divorce at the Lagos High Court (April).
2014: Divorce finalised; wins Best Actress at the Yoruba Movie Academy Awards (April).
2015: Iya Alalake wins Best Indigenous Language (Yoruba) at the AMVCA (March 7); stars in Awawu.
2016: Gains admission to Olabisi Onabanjo University to study film.
2017: Plays Ms Ajoke in 10 Days in Sun City; signs with new management and returns to the Williams name (November).
2018: Appears in Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons; dances with Saheed at Mercy Aigbe’s 40th birthday.
2019: Plays Iya Mulika in Mokalik.
2020: Tells TVC she will marry again if she finds love (July).
2022: Ends her feud with Iyabo Ojo (January); plays the Ojumo Queen in Aníkúlápó.
2023: Plays Erinfunto in Jagun Jagun on Netflix (August) and Mama Caro in A Tribe Called Judah (December).
2024: Her father dies (announced April 23); appears in Beast of Two Worlds.
2025: Appears in Owambe Thieves and Labake Olododo; patches things up with Funke Akindele (December).
2026: Turns 55 (February 5); her mother dies on the eve of her birthday party; Efunroye: The Unicorn opens in cinemas (May 1); speaks out over late-night screenings (May 29); management denies death rumours (July 12).
Net Worth
Fathia’s wealth comes from three main sources built over more than 25 years in film. The first is acting fees from a long run of Yoruba and English-language titles, including Netflix and big-studio cinema releases like Jagun Jagun and A Tribe Called Judah. The second is brand work, which started with her 2012 Suru Group ambassador deal and continues through her large Instagram following.
The third is producing, and it carries the most risk. Efunroye: The Unicorn opened with ₦29.5 million, but she said publicly that a weak run could leave her in debt from its production costs. Her final earnings from the film will depend on its full cinema run and any streaming deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Fathia Balogun?
She is 55. She was born on February 5, 1971, in Ikeja, Lagos State, and celebrated her 55th birthday in February 2026.
Who is Fathia Balogun’s husband?
She was married to actor and filmmaker Saheed Balogun from 2000 until their divorce in 2014. She hasn’t remarried, but she has said she will marry again if she finds love.
How many children does Fathia Balogun have?
She has two children with Saheed Balogun, a daughter named Aaliyah and a son named Khalid.
How old is Fathia Balogun’s first child?
Her first child with Saheed Balogun is their daughter, Aaliyah, who was born on April 6, 2001. She is 25.
Who was Fathia Balogun’s mother?
Her mother was Gloria Uzoamaka Williams. She died in February 2026 at the age of 78 and was buried in Lagos on March 7, 2026.
Why did Fathia Balogun change her name to Faithia Williams?
She took the Balogun surname when she married Saheed Balogun in 2000. After their divorce she went back to her maiden name, and in 2017 she said the change was part of a rebrand with her new management.
