This is Folu Storms. Nollywood, Please Keep Up

If you did not know her from her days at Inspiration FM, NdaniTV, her AMVCA-nominated documentary; The New Africa, and her role as SP Kelechi ‘KC’ Farasin in Crime and Justice Lagos, then you probably thought Folu Storms, the lead actress who played Fikayo Holloway in Red Circle is a newbie on the Nigerian Entertainment scene. 

Ada Afoluwake “Folu Storms” Ogunkeye has navigated Nigeria’s ever-dynamic creative landscape with a blend of discipline, passion, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity, making a mark from radio to tv and film over the last decade. She has featured in MTV Shuga Alone Together, The Men’s Club (Season 3), Baby Farm, Red Circle, among others.

The truth is for many Nollywood fans, the glamour of film, television, and the red carpets masks the stressful reality of production. When Folu Storms and I eventually got to talk, weeks after we had planned to, because of her very busy schedule, I remembered a quote that says “People only see the champagne, but they don’t see the Champ’s pain.”

So our conversation started with the strenuous efforts that goes into production from the cast’s point of view and she offered a candid glimpse behind the scenes of a production, revealing it as “arguably one of the most collaborative experiences that a person could possibly be engaged in.” 

“You could spend anytime from about 20 days to a few months filming a project during which it seems like your life is no longer your own because it’s dedicated to this cause.” The demands are immense, requiring constant adjustment to variables, both expected and uniquely Nigerian.

Like Nora Awolowo; Red Circle’s producer told me, Folu notes that filming in Nigeria comes with its own distinct set of challenges. “Nigeria, we all know, has its own unique set of challenges,” she states, recounting scenarios where even approved locations can be disrupted by unforeseen bureaucratic hurdles and these interruptions can delay shoots by several hours.

Yet, amidst this demanding environment, Folu Storms thrives, featuring in Baby Farm, Red Circle, and at least one other production set to hit our screens later this year while performing a host of other roles. She’s had to become a master of balancing multiple roles, a skill she attributes to “a combination of discipline and constant communication with the different people that I work with on different projects.”

She is a passionate advocate for Women’s Economic Empowerment and gender equity and is not afraid of wearing many hats. For her, it boils down to having a pragmatic approach: “What needs to be done now? What are my short term goals, long term goals, how are we dividing this time?” While acknowledging the pressures and exhaustion that come with such a demanding life, she admits that that her energy is not infinite. “Sometimes you drop balls, but you pick them back up and you continue juggling.”

Folu Storms attended primary school at Corona VI, then had her secondary education first at The Lagoon Secondary School, then St Leonards Mayfield in the UK before proceeding to Aberystwyth University where she studied for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) between 2005 and 2008. Although she started out practising Law, her passion for media and her mission to change lives in terms of how people saw themselves; that is, self-identities, ensured she sought something more, something beyond the legal borders and that which only the media could help her achieve. 

So how does this passion and desire influence her decision to take on new roles or projects? “The fundamental thing I take a look at is the story. Why is this story interesting? Why is this story important? Why is it an important story to tell?” Stories are a mirror, reflecting not just society but also aspects of our lives and our psyche. For Folu, art touches a part of our spirit and mind that you haven’t necessarily paid conscious attention to.

Beyond the story, she then delves into the intricacies of the character she is meant to play. “What is the character doing? What are the character’s motivations? Have I come across this sort of character before? If I have, why would it be good for me to be the person to embody this character? Why would I want to?” She also considers how a role contributes to her growth as an artiste, asking, “What the role does for my craft, and for my ability to emote certain things, to tell stories in certain ways.” 

All of this helps her play fully fleshed out characters who are well-rounded believable human beings with flaws. Her ultimate goal as an actor is to evoke empathy: “If I can make you empathize and understand, I feel like I’ve done my job.”

Her portrayal of Fikayo Holloway in the record-breaking movie Red Circle is a testament to her commitment to authentic storytelling. “I said no to Fikayo the first time,” she openly admits. “I like to tell this story because it’s important for us to remember that there’s room for error and there’s room to say, actually, you know, I made a mistake.” Her initial hesitation stemmed from the character not ‘feeling real’ in the first draft of the script she read. It took a rational conversation with a crew member and Nora Awolowo, who first told her about the movie while they were on the set of Baby Farm, and a revised script, to convince her. 

“After an honest conversation, they listened to my views and then sent me another script, and I was like,’OK, I know who this person is now, I’m convinced.“

What ultimately drew her in was Fikayo’s inherent imperfection: “She really is just very flawed. She’s a very flawed character, and that made her very interesting to me. Fikayo had no sense of the consequences of her actions until the end, which kind of marks the beginning of her super villain arc. The challenge which she eagerly accepted was to make audiences “irritated by her flaws, but still get them to eventually empathize with her.” 

Fikayo Holloway is a journalist from a wealthy family of socialites who uncovered a powerful crime ring in Lagos, after their atrocities hit close to home. Yet, Red Circle is not the only 2025 project where Folu Storms played a the role of an investigative journalist. In the Netflix series, Baby Farm, Folu acts as Joy, a blogger who documents the actions of Cherise, a rich actress played by Rita Dominic. Considering her previous stints on radio and tv, one would wonder how much of these roles resonates with her real-life experience as a media practitioner but Folu clarifies that while she understood certain elements, Joy’s character was an extreme departure from her own personality. 

“I don’t know that you saw a lot of Folu Storms in Joy” she states, explaining that she pushed the character’s ambitious drive further than the script suggested, making Joy “particularly aggressive.” Joy, in her interpretation, was a proper shark who didn’t care how others felt as long as she was doing her job and making a name for herself. “Playing a character who is unafraid to live in the extremes was liberating for me as a performer, I do not live in the extremes like that.”

She humorously recalls Rita Dominic, who was very gracious to work with on the project, telling her how much she hated the character “every time you’re on, we’re performing, I want to slap you.” That’s what I like to hear,” Folu tells me. The role holds a special place in her heart for the sheer fun it offered and the favourable timing of her scenes, especially without the immense pressure of being a lead. “The sacrifice is much heavier than I think the average person could possibly understand,” she notes about lead roles. 

However, her role as SP Kelechi in the ShowMax original, ‘Crime and Justice‘ remains a top contender, if not her absolute favorite, primarily because it afforded her the most time she has ever had on a to settle into a character. Her meticulous approach to choosing roles means that by the time she says yes, she is genuinely invested, and usually, by the end of production, she confirms, “yeah, this is a good choice.”

While she refused to reveal much about the project she just wrapped up due to contractual obligations, she mentions that it is a PinPoint Media project, where she plays a character who is “very soft, but also very bold and a lover girl. I think the project is going to be visually gorgeous, there’s a lot of Lagos in it and it would hit a number of sweet spots emotionally for people.”

Recall that Netng had earlier reported that PinPoint’s Chris Ihidero was working on a feature film which started shooting in June. 

Looking ahead, Folu Storms has a clear vision for her career and she expresses a keen interest in collaborating with industry peers she admires, such as Nse Ikpe-Etim, whom she believes would be a great scene partner. She also has her sights set on working with directors like BB Sasore, whose work on the AMVCA-winning ‘Breath of Life’ she deeply appreciates.

“I have been on a couple of panels with him, I like the way he works and functions, so I’m applying pressure,” she quips, indicating her proactive approach to seeking out collaborations with those whose work and thought processes she respects. Her admiration extends to veterans like Ireti Doyle, whom she describes as “such a gracious person, who is always welcoming when we run into each other” 

Beyond the demanding world of acting, Folu Storms finds solace and rejuvenation in nature and travel. “I unwind usually by traveling, going to the beach, I can use my last money to travel and to eat.” Her ideal escape involves being as close to nature as possible, whether it’s open water, mountain, forests. Her furry companion, Kekere, a proper guard dog and her number one bodyguard, also brings her joy.

She might have gone under your radar for a while, but her amazing run in 2025 is going to be remembered as one for the ages. 

This is Folu Storms, all of you should fall in line. 

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