Meet Imade Osawaru, Actress, Producer, Culinary Artist, and One of Nollywood’s Fast-Rising Creative Forces

Imade Osawaru is a Nigerian actress, film producer, entrepreneur, influencer, chef, and television personality whose versatility continues to distinguish her across the African entertainment landscape.

Born in Benin City, Edo State, in the late 1980s, she hails from Ugha Okhuoihe in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area. With more than eight years of active work in Nollywood, Imade has steadily built a reputation for delivering compelling, emotionally rich performances across feature films, web series, and television productions.

Raised in Benin City, Imade’s academic pursuit led her to the University of Benin, where she earned a B.A. in Public Administration. Her passion for food and culture later took her to Italy, where she trained as a professional Italian chef at the Istituto d’Istruzione Superiore Alberghiero Loreto Ancona.

Before fully embracing her creative path, she gained valuable exposure in the hospitality and travel sectors, experience that would later enrich her storytelling and on-screen depth.

Imade’s journey in Nollywood spans a wide catalogue of roles that showcase her dynamism as an actress. Known for embodying strong, expressive, and relatable characters, she has featured in productions such as My Village Bride, Exhausted, The Gate Man, King of Kings, Last Affair, Sweet Mama’s House, A Call from the Past, V8, Brothers & Thrones, Herbs of Life, A Fool for Trust, The Older the Wine, Fear, Izoduwa, Thirty and Still Single, The Pattern, Unexpected Bond, The Quest, The General, Enibokun, E’fin Boy Reloaded, and Lost Souls United.

Beyond acting, Imade is also an accomplished film producer with several notable projects to her credit, including Fatal Attraction, Indecisiveness, The Herbs of Life, The Older the Wine, Fear, and The General (web series).

She is the CEO of MadeMonic Entertainment Productions Ltd, a content creation and film production company dedicated to telling authentic African stories. Her culinary expertise shines through as the host of Imade’s Kitchen, a cooking programme where she brings Nigerian and international dishes to life.

A Christian and humanitarian, Imade is passionate about empowering young creatives and supporting underprivileged communities. Her philanthropic work, business engagements, and culinary pursuits have taken her across Europe and the Middle East, reflecting her global outlook and commitment to social impact.

Her excellence and growing influence have earned her several awards and nominations, including Fast Rising Actor (Female) at The Intellects Awards (2019), Best Female Star of the Year at the Benin City Film Festival for Brothers & Thrones (2021), Face of Edo Nominee at the Edo Festival & Awards London (2022) and Emerging Young CEO of the Year at the Top 50 Most Industrious Women in Africa (2022).

Others are Fast Rising Actress of the Year at the Nigerian Youth Achievers Awards (2023), Most Creative Actress of the Year by Creekvibes Magazine (2025), African Fast Growing Entrepreneur of the Year at the African Icon Awards (2025), recognition among the 100 African Female Change Makers at the African Women Achievers Awards in South Africa (2025), and Young Entrepreneurial Icon of the Year at the Top 50 Most Industrious Women in Africa (2025).

Imade’s work and influence have enjoyed wide media visibility across respected platforms including Sun News, GH Gossip, NTM, Nairaland, State Press, Abuja Press, The Nation, TV Africa 24, Vanguard, and Punch Newspapers.

Today, she continues to rise as one of Nollywood’s most inspiring and multi-talented creatives, an actress with range, a producer with vision, a chef with passion, and an entrepreneur with a growing continental footprint.