Luscious, ravishing and down-to-earth; she stuns in her glowing, flowing crimson silky gown. With forehead draped in ornaments, she strikes one like an Arabian princess. A model, an actor and a farmer; dutiful, beautiful and thoughtful, she has remained unstoppable despite the many scandals that dog her name. A household name in Nollywood, she has walked beyond the traditions of her hometown to explore the deviations Lagos and the Nollywood present. A prolific actress and model, and the United Nations Ambassador for Peace, Halima Abubakar with a die-hard spirit has always reached for the stars –one of Nigeria’s finest actresses known for her stellar performances. In this interview with Oge Ezeliora, she touches on the various dramas that characterised her name, fame and rebirth

Sometime ago, it was reported in the papers that you had issues with Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh. What actually are the issues?
Oh no, we never quarrelled. I only read it in the papers just like everyone else did. We never had any verbal quarrel. She is just my friend and colleague.

But you used to be very close friends all of a sudden you gals parted?
Well, if that is your belief. I came to this world alone, not with any friend. The truth is that, after a while in life some people just grow apart. That was the only problem we had, there was never any verbal exchange between us. Don’t forget that between us, there were too many friends. Now, I don’t even have time for friendship, which is the truth because I have grown wiser. At a point in life, people just need to go achieve something and come back. I didn’t want to feel awkward in any relationship that is why I decided to do my own thing. Tonto is an amazing person. I don’t think that I have had any verbal quarrel with anybody. She is a sister and a wonderful actress.

Does it mean that you don’t have friends in Nollywood?
(Laughs) I do have friends but everybody knows that I don’t attach anything to that friendship thing because it will not change anything about my life. So, what I have are colleagues not friends.

You have really had your fair share of controversies. People would have expected you to go under, going by all the scandals.
Some people would have built 10 houses out of those controversies. Well, I don’t know if I am controversial. I am a very good girl. I don’t set out to bring controversy to myself. I just go about my life in a normal way. If you think that is controversial, I don’t have anything to say to that.  People should be sure of their findings before they draw their conclusions. I don’t have time for gossips. When people hear something bad, they just mention Halima. It is very wrong. I am just an easy-going person. People should stop monitoring me.

Did those scandals affect your career?
Oh, yes it did at a point! But I thank God for his mercies and love where I am. A lot of producers didn’t want to work with me. They used to see me as a very decent quiet girl. For them to see those pictures, it was very shocking to them. It took me some years to convince them that I can act very well. I am not all about snapping pictures and modeling. I am still trying to convince some of them. I refused to quit the industry like I told you before. That consistency sort of helped me out. I have built relationships again.

How did your parents feel when they read such bad stuff about you?
It was simply shocking to them. My dad still does not like reading me in the papers. My mum knows I love what I do so she advises me most times. Anyway, they are okay now unlike when they read those things years ago.

You are one of the few northerners in the movie industry. How come you made it so fast?
Oh yes! We don’t have too many actors or actresses from the North in Nollywood. But I came to break that record. Even when they wanted me to leave, I refused. I guess I have this die-hard spirit. I don’t believe in quitting. I try very hard to stay stable and be myself. I have done many good things as an actress. I have acted many good scripts. If I am not good at what I am doing, then they can send me away. I am also into charity work in which I have spent millions of Naira for the less privileged from my personal account. Nobody has seen that. Even when they try to frustrate me, I did not give up. I so much believe in myself and that has kept me going in this industry since then.

What encouraged you to become an actress, knowing that most people from your religious background would not?
I started acting when I was in my teens. The awareness then was not that much. People didn’t really know much about movies up North then. It was after the millennium that people started taking note of the movie industry. In short, when I started, I didn’t have a problem until people started making a big issue out of nothing. Even when things that should not elicit any reaction, but because of the way those things were blown out of proportion, people were forced to take note and that brought controversies and bad comments from people. Basically, I don’t think it is a problem. When you are given a job to do, I guess you are supposed to do it very well.

How did your interest in acting develop?
When I started acting, I didn’t think of any other thing; it was just acting that was on my mind. So, I had to act just because of the love I have for it and not because of any other thing. I started watching movies when I was very young. I grew up wanting to be like those people that I watched. In Kano State, what we watched were mostly Indian movies. Thereafter, I started watching ‘Third Eye’ on the Nigerian Television Authority. That was how I fell in love with acting. The whole story started when I met Nollywood star Francis Duru in Kano. He came for ‘Night of a Thousand Laughs.’ That was many years ago. I went up to him and I told him I wanted to be an actress. He gave me some addresses and told me to go there whenever I was in Lagos. When I eventually came to Lagos, I went for an audition. I didn’t get any job, so I had to go back to Kano. Much later, I came back and I was able to get a role in a movie. I have really gone through many things in my life. It has not been easy, but I thank God I was not broken. Sometimes people make you lose confidence in yourself and you just want to give up. But I am really happy for my strength and God. I started playing lead roles. My first lead role was actually ‘Sisi’ in ‘Gangstar Paradise’ before I started acting other movies.

You must have featured in well over a hundred movies?
I would say I have tried. But I don’t think I can count the number of movies I have starred in. I don’t think they are up to 100 though but I have done a lot.

So what are the current projects taking your time?
I have been shooting movies all over the country and outside Nigeria. I just returned from Owerri, Awka and Asaba. I have been to Enugu three times and now I am shooting in Lagos.

Do you have any movie you have produced?
Yes. Sometime last year I produced a movie which was also premiered.  The title of the movie is ‘Mistress.’

Now that you are a star and a well-known producer, are there things you no longer do?
I don’t see myself as a star. I am still coming up. In any case, there is nothing I used to do before that I can no longer do. I have not allowed the so-called stardom to get to me in any way. If I want to stop on the road and buy N10 groundnut, I can still do it now. I still go to the market till date. I am still myself.

Can you tell us about the movie?
The movie is based on relationships and the complexity; it was shot in both Lagos and London. This movie is targeted at the young people amongst us and it exposed a lot about the games ladies, especially Nigerian women and guys, play in relationships. I also featured Yvonne Nelson, Moyo Lawal and a host of other Nollywood stars in the movie.

How long did it take you to produce this movie?
For four good years, since I set up my farm. Sincerely, I have been working on this movie for four years and I went through a lot of distractions along the way before the movie was made.

How much did you invest in this movie?
I spent over N9 million on my new movie. The money I would have invested in two or more movies, I spent it on just one movie. Nobody knew what I passed through. Please forget about the money I spent on the movie for now because it is gone and God has blessed me greatly so I am not complaining.

Is there anything like gender discrimination in Nollywood?
There are times you are given a role and producers decide to change the character to a guy, although when the script was written the role was meant for a girl. I have worked with someone that changed a role. He probably felt I could not do it but at least he should have given another girl a chance instead of giving the role to a guy. To me, that was not good at all. To some extent, what a guy can do in the movie world, a lady can do. I am not one of those people that say, ‘What a man can do, a woman can do too.’ But at least, there are some things a man can do that the ladies can do too. So, I think we should be treated equally.


You shared on twitter that you are in love; can we know the lucky man?
What is bad in Halima Abubakar being in love? So Nollywood actresses cannot express their feelings anymore. How old do you think I am? Is it because I have been in the industry for a long time? I am in a relationship with a guy and everything is working well. Besides, I would like to keep that close to my chest, at least for now. I don’t want to unveil him now. Most relationships I have revealed in the past didn’t last long before they hit the wall. Please this one is so dear to my heart.

What is your kind of man?
I detest flashy men. I cherish a god-fearing, intelligent, caring and loving man. That is my ideal man, and that is simply what God has given to me in the person I am with currently. I am not in a hurry to settle down. When it’s time, nobody will tell me to get married. I would want to spend the rest of my life with the right person. Right now, most guys in Nigeria are players. I don’t have strength for their problems. All I want to say is that any man that gets married to me should count himself lucky because I will be a very good wife. I am very homely and reserved if you don’t know. And, I am a very dedicated woman who does not joke with her man.

Will you like to marry an actor?
No. I don’t think I will marry an actor. I like career guys. I am not saying acting is not a career. I want to marry a guy that will wake up in the morning and go to his office and come back later in the evening. I don’t think I have that heart to pursue or monitor actors or musicians. My head would just be spinning and I would be asking myself what he is doing at every point in time. Ha! I can’t marry an actor joo! The girls involved are too many. I don’t have such strength. Moreover, I have not seen that actor that would make me change my mind or settle down with him.

Without any sponsor or guy, how do you maintain yourself?
I don’t depend on men to make ends meet. I work and I get paid. I am comfortable. I have a very big farm. Although my father manages it for me, I still go there to check on some of the animals, like the poultry farm, the piggery section and the rest of them. I prefer working hard to make my money. So I am shopping, no man will come and tell me I am too expensive. I will continue working even when I get married.

So, you are not dependent on any guy?
I am not. The secret behind my success is my large farm and I also buy and sell farm products including other accessories like perfumes, shoes bags and other things.

So, are you saying you are a farmer?
Yes, I am a proud farmer.

You don’t have to beg for roles these days?
No, no, no! At least producers are trying. I don’t have to beg for roles. I have graduated in that aspect.

You have even changed your car?
Do you expect me to be driving the same car all these years? Everybody has stepped up. I am sure you have stepped up as well.  I love lovely cars.

What was the most regrettable thing that happened to you?
All the controversies; I wished they never happened. I wished people didn’t get to hear all those negative things, which were lies anyway. Then again, some of the friends I had in the past, I wished I never had them. I shouldn’t have been seen with them in the first place.

Are these ‘friends’ in your industry?
Oh, yes! Fair weather friends; they say one thing in my presence and they go out and say another thing. I don’t want to talk about it at all. I want to let bygone be bygone. Some of the scandals came from people that know me. A lot of those people are no longer my friends. I later got to know the role they played in the whole saga. I really don’t need such friends any longer. I don’t want anything to drag me down; I would rather drop that thing.

But did it matter to you?
I felt bad. What do you expect? I didn’t work for two years. That should be enough for me to feel bad. I was really depressed. If I was abroad, I would have been behaving like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. Thank God Jeta Amata rescued me by giving me a role. And thank God there is sanity in Nigeria; we are very strong people. It is not easy for you to stay two years without a job, without doing what you have always loved doing.

Don’t you think it was those scandals that brought you into the limelight?
It was still those scandals that almost killed my career. That is not fun at all.

Did the scandal affect your love life then?
Oh, no! The guy I was dating at the time was extremely wonderful. Unfortunately, he died. I don’t want to dwell on how he died. I am still grateful that he was there for me in the first place. I know many guys wouldn’t have done what he did for me and I also have a better guy now.

Do you dress this ‘hot’ back home in Kano?
No. I dress responsibly. In fact, am I not looking responsible now? Anyway, in Kano, you cannot dress like I am dressed now. I wear native dresses. When I go to Kano, I behave like the responsible child that I am. I have a suitcase filled with native dresses. When I go to Kano, I wear them.

Is it not hypocrisy?
It is not. I wear native dresses here as well. I don’t wear them daily. But I make sure I dress like that every Friday.

You are a Muslim but at times you attend Church programmes. How come?
I was actually born a Muslim but I still go to church. I love the word of God so I attend Church programmes. Remember, we are serving one God so I don’t discriminate. I actually finished reading the Koran, nobody should try me oh! My religion is in my heart. I don’t have to carry it on my face; that is hypocrisy. My beliefs are there. I am indifferent. I make my hair and I wear good clothes. I want to look good in as much as I am serving God.

Are you crazy about tattoos?
Yes.

Aside from your chest region, where else do you have tattoos?
I have tattoos in few other places on my body. I am sure you don’t want to find out. Leave that for another gist.

You no longer model?
I have resigned for now because of my movie.

Because you have added weight or what people are saying?
No! I am old or don’t you think so? I just can’t continue going without food just because I want to be skinny. I love my food. I guess the younger ones should take over from where I stopped. But if you think I am good enough for your product, then you sign me on. I am not ready to go on any diet again.

Your frankness is amazing; where did you get this boldness from?
Well, there is no need to pretend now. I know that the almighty Internet bullies will still criticise me anyway. However, it doesn’t matter because I can’t be living my life for them. Whether many will like to agree with this or not, I just want them to know that these things happen. People need to hear. I am actually very frank and that has cost me a lot because people can’t stand my frankness; instead they take it for arrogance. If I am upset with you, I’ll tell you instead of avoiding you and you start asking questions. It is good to know what you have done to me so that you can apologise, I will wait for your apology and if I don’t get it, I’ll move on.

Can you act nude?
No, I can’t  act nude.
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