Ada Ameh (1974-2022) was a Nollywood actress, producer, businesswoman, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. She had a career spanning 26 years in Nollywood and appeared in various movies and the award-winning TV series The Johnsons. She passed away in July 2022.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ada Grace Ameh [1]NG-Check was born on Wednesday, 15 May 1974 (age 48 years; at the time of death) in the Naval Barracks on Malu (Mobil) road in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria. Her zodiac sign was Taurus. She went to the Army Children’s School 4, Ajegunle, Lagos for her primary education. For secondary education, she studied at the Idoma Community Secondary School, Otobi, Benue State. Later, she moved to Wesley High School, Otukpo, Benue State. Then, she switched to Adeolu Secondary School, Ajegunle, Lagos. She when she became pregnant at the age of 14 and dropped out of school. She appeared in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) exam as an external candidate. She did a diploma in Cosmetology. She suffered from mental health issues later in life before her death.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 4′ 11″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father was a Naval officer in the Nigerian Navy, and her mother was a businesswoman who sold food. She had 5 elder brothers and 5 younger sisters.
Ada Ameh (right) with her mother
Husband & Children
She never married; however, she got pregnant at the age of 14. Her child’s father was a person in the Nigerian Armed Forces whose identity she never disclosed. She raised her daughter, Gift Aladi Ameh, as a single mother. Her daughter underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in Abuja, Nigeria. However, the tumour was not fully diagnosed, and her daughter died on 20 October 2020.
Ada Ameh’s daughter Gift Aladi Ameh
Ethnicity
She belonged to the Idoma tribe of Benue state in Nigeria.
Career
Films and TV Series
She met the Nigerian filmmaker Zeb Ejiro in Ajegunle. She told Zeb that she needed a job following which he cast her in the movie Domitilla released in 1996. Her role as Anita in the movie earned her appreciation from the critics. Although she did not intend to become an actress, she kept on acting in films and took up any role she was offered to make money. She appeared in the films Phone Swap, Civil War, and 30 Days in Atlanta. One day, she received a call from Solomon Macauley to audition for the TV series ‘The Johnsons.’ She played the role of Mrs. Emu Johnson, which made her a household name in Nigeria. She also appeared in the TV series ‘About 2morrow.’ She had a career of 26 years in Nollywood, which spanned from 1996 till her death in 2022.
Ada Ameh (in the yellow cap) with the star cast of The Johnsons
Producer
She was the CEO of the Adylad Productions Limited company. She produced a talent hunt-cum-reality show, ‘Take it to the Street’, which featured students from Benue State.
Businesswoman
She ran a small business of supplying merchandise to households in her area. She also ran a food supply business.
Controversies
In 2022, she was sued by her client as she was unable to do a job due to her mental health issues. She claimed that she was unable to pay the amount being demanded by the client. She released a video in which she claimed that she could not do the work due to mental issues which the client did not understand and said,
I was given a job, I didn’t do the job because I had mental issues. Will people understand? They are slamming me with a bill, suing me. It’s okay.” [2]Vanguard
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- She was nominated for the Best Actress in Comedy award at the City People Entertainment Awards.
- She was nominated for the Most Promising Actress in Nigeria award at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.
- She was nominated for the Best Comic Act to Watch award at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Death
She died on 17 July 2022 at the age of 48 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) hospital in Warri, Delta State. She went to a party and suddenly collapsed. She was taken to a hospital and died around 11 pm. She was buried in her father’s compound in their hometown, Otukpo, Benue State on 26 August 2022. [3]The Punch
Facts/Trivia
- In childhood, she was a tomboy.
- She liked eating and cooking rice, fish, stew, and Chinese meals.
- She liked perfumes, shoes, and bags.
- She wanted to open a facility to mentor teenage girls.
- She battled alcoholism at different periods of her life.
- Her parents separated in the same year when she became pregnant, and she was ousted from her home by her father when she was 15 years old.
- She contemplated becoming a musician or doctor in childhood.
