11
Efe Irele Biography: Oversabi Aunty, Her Autism Advocacy and Screen Career
When Toyin Abraham’s directorial debut Oversabi Aunty crossed ₦1 billion at the Nigerian box office in December 2025, becoming the first debut film by a Nigerian director to reach that mark, Efe Irele was part of the cast that helped carry it there.
It was the latest milestone in a career she built after leaving a job in human resources to try acting, and one she has balanced with running a foundation for autistic children, a cause rooted in her own family.
Efeilomo Michelle Irele, known professionally as Efe Irele, is a Nigerian actress, model and film producer. She is known for her roles in Lagos Real Fake Life, My Mother Is a Witch and Oversabi Aunty, and for founding the Efe Irele Autism Foundation.
Profile
| Born | Efeilomo Michelle Irele, September 4, 1990, Lagos, Nigeria |
|---|---|
| State of origin | Edo State |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Actress, model, film producer |
| Education | Sociology degree, Bowen University; Master’s in Human Resource Management, University of Chester, UK |
| Known for | Lagos Real Fake Life; My Mother Is a Witch; Oversabi Aunty; the Efe Irele Autism Foundation |
Early Life and Education
Irele was born and raised in Lagos, though her family hails from Edo State, and she has three siblings.
She attended Corona School in Gbagada, Lagos, before completing her secondary education at Queen’s College, Yaba.
She went on to earn a degree in sociology from Bowen University in Nigeria, followed by a master’s degree in human resource management from the University of Chester in the United Kingdom.
From Video Vixen to Actress
Irele began her entertainment career as a model, appearing as a video vixen in Burna Boy’s 2012 music video “Like to Party” and later in Adekunle Gold’s video for “Sade.”
After working for a period as a human resources manager, she moved into acting, landing her first role in 2016 on the Iroko TV series Aso Ebi.
Her breakout came two years later, in 2018, when she played a modern Nigerian woman navigating societal expectations in the series Lagos Real Fake Life.
The Efe Irele Autism Foundation
In 2017, Irele launched the Efe Irele Autism Foundation, an organisation aimed at supporting autistic children and raising public awareness about the condition.
Speaking to ThisDay in 2018 about the foundation’s annual “Christmas With the Family” event for children with autism, she said her motivation was personal: her brother is autistic, and she witnessed the stigma he faced growing up. She said “the need to educate and enlighten the society on autism became paramount.”
She has said her mother, who worked in medicine, was able to recognise the signs of her brother’s autism early, something she has noted many parents without a medical background are unable to do.
Building a Nollywood Career
Following her breakout in Lagos Real Fake Life, Irele appeared in a steady run of Nigerian film and television productions through the late 2010s and early 2020s, including Hey You!, Two Weeks in Lagos, and the 2021 action drama Devil in Agbada, alongside Erica Nlewedim and Linda Osifo. She has also worked as a producer on some of her later projects.
Oversabi Aunty and Recent Work (2025)
Irele’s more recent credits include the 2025 comedy My Mother Is a Witch, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and starring Mercy Aigbe, Timini Egbuson and Neo Akpofure, released in cinemas that May.
She followed it with a role in Oversabi Aunty, written, directed and produced by Toyin Abraham in her directorial debut, released on December 19, 2025.
The film, centred on a meddling church usher whose moral certainty masks the neglect of her own family, went on to gross more than ₦1 billion in Nigeria, making it, according to Wikipedia’s sourcing on the film, the first directorial debut in Nollywood history to reach that figure, and one of the highest-grossing Nigerian films ever made.
Selected Filmography
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Aso Ebi |
| 2018 | Lagos Real Fake Life |
| 2018 | Hey You! |
| 2019 | Two Weeks in Lagos |
| 2021 | Devil in Agbada |
| 2025 | My Mother Is a Witch |
| 2025 | Oversabi Aunty |
Career Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Appears as a video vixen in Burna Boy’s “Like to Party” and Adekunle Gold’s “Sade” |
| 2016 | Lands her first acting role in the Iroko TV series Aso Ebi |
| 2017 | Launches the Efe Irele Autism Foundation |
| 2018 | Breaks through with a lead role in Lagos Real Fake Life |
| 2021 | Appears in the action drama Devil in Agbada |
| May 2025 | My Mother Is a Witch is released in cinemas |
| December 2025 | Appears in Oversabi Aunty, which becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing directorial debut |
Sources
- Wikipedia — Efe Irele
- Wikipedia — Oversabi Aunty
- Wikipedia — Devil in Agbada
- ThisDay Live — Actress Restates Commitment to Helping Autistic Children
- Nollywire — Efe Irele
- IMDb — Efe Irele
- Apple TV — Efe Irele Movies and Shows
Last updated: September 24, 2026
Zeez is the editor and founder of BioOrbit, where he researches and writes biographies of public figures from Nigeria and around the world. With 5 years of experience writing about news, entertainment, sports and politics, Zeez focuses on verified facts, clear sourcing and regular updates. Found an error? Report a correction.
