Nigerian TV anchor Olive Emodi trained as a lawyer, won an acting reality show, and now co-hosts Breakfast Central on News Central TV. Is Olive Emodi related to Ray Emodi? They share a surname, but neither has spoken publicly about a family tie, and Ray Emodi‘s family has never included Olive in public. This Olive Emodi biography covers her age, family, law degree, TV and acting career, her show At His Right Hand, awards and net worth, updated to October 2026.
| Date of Birth | July 26, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Age | 37 years |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Occupation | TV Anchor, MC, Lawyer, Actress |
| Home State | Delta State |
| Education | Delta State University (Law), Nigerian Law School |
| TV Show | Breakfast Central (News Central TV) |
| Own Show | At His Right Hand |
| Relationship Status | Single |
Is Olive Emodi Related to Ray Emodi?
Olive Emodi and actor Ray Emodi share a surname. Neither has spoken publicly about a family tie. Ray is the youngest son of Senator Joy Emodi, a former senator for Anambra North, and the late Dr Okey Emodi. His siblings are Onyechi Emodi, Chibogu Ilozue and Nneka Emodi-Eze, according to Legit.ng. Olive has never been named as part of that family in public.
Olive has said her father is a retired Nigerian diplomat and her mother once worked in immigration, she has said in interviews. Her roots and early career are in Delta State. Emodi is a common Igbo surname, which is why fans often link the two.
Biography
Olive Emodi was born on July 26, 1989, according to a Future Awards Africa profile published by Yafri. She is 37 as of October 2026. In July 2026 she launched the second season of her show on her birthday, ThisDay reported.
Parents and childhood
Her father worked as a Nigerian diplomat, so the family moved countries every few years. “We would leave the country every four years,” she said in a December 2025 conversation on her YouTube channel. Her mother had a full-time career in immigration and kept pausing it each time they moved. “She would have to pause, you know, it meant you pause promotions,” Olive said.
She says she got her curiosity about people from her father. “My father is extremely friendly,” she said. “He’s intrigued by people.” She also learned only recently that he once acted in a TV series on NTA before he became a diplomat. Her faith came from her mother. “I was born into a Christian home,” she told HOTM Channel in 2019.
Why she studied law
Olive wanted to be a lawyer, an actor and a TV presenter all at once. When she was filling her JAMB form, her mother settled it. “My mother said you can rehearse and train to be a TV presenter because you already have the natural giftings of a communicator,” she told Morayo Afolabi-Brown in February 2026. “But you cannot train to be a lawyer.” Her father had already ruled out theatre arts.
She studied law at Delta State University. While there, she hosted events, did runway modelling and performed poetry, Yafri reports. She hosted many events for free. “I’ll tell a SUG president, ‘Just buy me lunch and I’ll do your event,'” she said. She later went to the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar.
Career
Delta Talent Quest and acting
Her big break came in her final year at university. In 2011 she won the Delta Talent Quest, an acting reality show run by the Delta State government with Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) as executive producer. “It was nice money and a brand new car,” she told HOTM Channel. She still calls RMD her mentor, and on October 30, 2026 she posted about hosting him on her show as “my Daddy”.
She made her Nollywood debut in 2017 with Put a Ring on It, Yafri reports. She also acted in Mama Drama.
TV and radio
Her first job after law school was at a TV station in the Wazobia family, which wanted “a TV presenter that can act”, she told Morayo Afolabi-Brown. Her first real presenting job was on Cool TV, Yafri reports. It did not start smoothly. “My first few months of work I got demoted,” she told HOTM Channel. She spent about eight months as a floor manager, a role usually left to interns. Her mother told her to stay and rise from the bottom, and she did, moving on to segment producing and then radio.
In December 2017 she co-hosted the Miss Nigeria finale at Eko Convention Centre with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Bovi and Lala Akindoju, according to Pulse.
Breakfast Central on News Central TV
Today she co-hosts Breakfast Central, the weekday morning news and current affairs show on News Central TV. It airs from 7am to 9am on DStv 422 and GOtv 23, her News Central profile says. She interviews politicians and public figures, and some clips have gone viral. In late October 2026 a clip from one of her interviews spread online. “Those who know me in real life know that this is me on a regular, Queen of dry jokes,” she wrote on Instagram on October 29, 2026.
Master of ceremonies
She is also one of Lagos’s busiest event hosts. She compères corporate, policy, lifestyle and diplomatic events. WIMBIZ has named her the anchor of its 25th annual conference, set for Eko Hotels on November 5 and 6, 2026.
At His Right Hand
Her own show, At His Right Hand, is a faith-based interview series that she hosts and executive produces on her YouTube channel. The name came from her mother. While praying over her, her mother quoted Psalm 16:11, “at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore,” she told Morayo Afolabi-Brown. “When she said that, it stuck.”
The idea had a false start. In 2021 she filmed a documentary called For the Girls Who Don’t Feel Enough, but the audio came out poor and she never released it. “I was so heartbroken,” she wrote on Instagram on October 5, 2026. Season two launched in July 2026 at the Segun Jade Theatre in Lekki, with guests such as Johnny Drille, RMD and Shawn Faqua, ThisDay reported. The show has passed 500,000 views.
Awards and Nominations
She won ELOY Award for TV Personality of the Year twice, in 2016 and 2022, according to News Central. In 2016 she also won TV Presenter of the Year at the 19 Role Model Awards, and in 2017 she received an Award of Excellence from the National Association of Psychology Students at UNILAG, Yafri reports.
In 2018 she won the Future Awards Africa Prize for On-Air Personality (TV). The ceremony took place on December 16, 2018, and she beat Tomike Alayande, Idia Aisien, Victor Mathias and Osasu Igbinedion. Leading Ladies Africa also named her one of Nigeria’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in 2018.
Personal Life
Olive Emodi is single. She has said she wants to get married. “I do want to get married. Let me say that to the camera,” she said in her December 2025 conversation. She told Morayo Afolabi-Brown in February 2026 that she sees dating “from a place of abundance” and that “anyone who’s intimidated by me is not the person that God has for me”.
She is godmother to the twins of her close friend Ayo, a fellow broadcaster. She says the two of them once prayed together every night for a year while working on a show.
In 2025 she bought her own house in Lagos. She said she had only “one or two M” when she first saw it, and the developer, who knew her father, gave her a payment plan. “It was a miracle,” she said.
Timeline
1989: Born on July 26.
2011: Wins the Delta Talent Quest acting reality show in her final year at Delta State University.
2016: Wins ELOY TV Personality of the Year and the 19 Role Model TV Presenter of the Year.
2017: Makes her film debut in Put a Ring on It.
2017: Wins an Award of Excellence from NAPS UNILAG.
2017: Co-hosts the Miss Nigeria finale with Ebuka, Bovi and Lala Akindoju in December.
2018: Hosts the ELOY Awards.
2018: Wins the Future Awards Africa On-Air Personality (TV) prize on December 16.
2018: Named one of Leading Ladies Africa’s 100 Most Inspiring Women.
2019: Speaks about being demoted early in her career on HOTM Channel.
2021: Films the unreleased documentary For the Girls Who Don’t Feel Enough.
2022: Wins her second ELOY TV Personality of the Year award.
2025: Buys her own house in Lagos.
2025: Talks about her parents, faith and singlehood on her YouTube channel in December.
2025: Profiled as “The golden voice” by NewsDirect on December 10.
2026: Appears on Morayo Afolabi-Brown’s show in February.
2026: Launches season two of At His Right Hand in July.
2026: Hosts Richard Mofe-Damijo on At His Right Hand on October 30.
2026: Named conference anchor for WIMBIZ’s 25th annual conference, set for November 5 and 6.
Net Worth
Olive Emodi’s net worth is estimated at $220,000–300,000. Most of it comes from her TV salary at News Central, her fees as one of Lagos’s busy event hosts, and brand work on her social pages.
Her home in Lagos is her biggest known asset. She has said she paid for it in instalments, so its value makes up a large part of the figure. With a growing YouTube show and a steady stream of corporate events, her earnings look set to keep climbing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Olive Emodi related to Ray Emodi?
They share a surname. Neither has spoken publicly about a family tie. Ray Emodi’s family, as reported by Legit.ng, is his parents Senator Joy Emodi and the late Dr Okey Emodi, and his siblings Onyechi, Chibogu and Nneka. It has never included Olive in public. Olive has said her father is a retired diplomat.
How old is Olive Emodi?
Olive Emodi was born on July 26, 1989, so she is 37 as of October 2026.
Is Olive Emodi a lawyer?
Yes. She studied law at Delta State University, went to the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar before moving into TV.
Is Olive Emodi married?
No. Olive Emodi is single. She has said she wants to get married.
Where does Olive Emodi work?
She co-hosts Breakfast Central on News Central TV and hosts her own YouTube show, At His Right Hand. She also works as an event MC.
What is Olive Emodi’s net worth?
Her net worth is estimated at $220,000–300,000, built from TV work, event hosting and brand deals.
