We sat down with Idia Aisien, the stunning Nigerian model, actress, media personality, and philanthropist, to dive into her remarkable journey. From navigating multiple identities to making a lasting impact in the entertainment industry, Idia shares her inspiring story and insights on what drives her passion and resilience.
SB: You’ve gracefully balanced multiple identities—you’re a model, actress, media personality, and philanthropist. How do you manage the pressure to fit into society’s expectations of these roles, and has your sense of self evolved with each new chapter of your career?
Idia Aisien: Life for me is about expressing myself and communicating what I’m feeling, or what era I’m in, at a specific point in time—my career choices and progression are definitely a reflection of my growth and my journey to become more. For example, when I worked as a TV anchor, everything I did reflected that.
SB: Public figures often find themselves defined by the version of themselves the public consumes. Have you ever felt the need to reclaim or redefine who Idia Aisen is beyond what’s been portrayed, and what parts of yourself do you wish people knew more about?
Idia Aisien: I am from an affluent and reserved background, so being in the spotlight is scary, because my family is sometimes affected by the attention that comes from my line of work. However, my entire life feels purpose-driven, but I have to tip-toe that line of living a public versus private life to create a balance.
SB: In an age where everyone seems to be curated online, how do you stay authentic while building a public persona? Do you feel the need to constantly manage how you’re perceived, or do you allow space for the real, unfiltered you?
Idia Aisien: We live in a time where people believe you need to be controversial to be interesting, but I really love the “classic- be yourself!” Mantra—it has more longevity.
SB: You’ve been vocal about being intentional with your career choices, including saying ‘no’ to opportunities that didn’t align with your values. Looking back, can you pinpoint a moment when saying ‘no’ led to a bigger, unexpected opportunity? How did that shape your understanding of success?
Idia Aisien: There are too many examples to give! I once turned down an acting job with a producer who called me about a role. So first, I had read the script and I couldn’t see the relevance of my character to the overall story— it would have been me acting for acting sake. Second, I couldn’t see how the role would help my growth as an actor, and third, the pay was practically nonexistent. Long story short, that Producer said that I would never book any bigger jobs if I wasn’t willing to act as many films as possible. However, the big jobs came. I was in a film released on Netflix last year, and in a series released on Prime. I also just invited by Netflix to visit the set of Bridgerton and to meet the cast of Season 4. I have two new films dropping this year, and I am also filming a global production. This proves that quality is more important than quantity.
SB: You once shared the challenges of salary negotiations, mentioning how outdated gender stereotypes were used against you. How do you keep pushing for fairness when you encounter such biases, and how do you ensure younger women in the industry learn to advocate for themselves with the same level of confidence you’ve developed?
Idia Aisien: There are three ways to push. The first is to negotiate as hard as you can; show what value you bring to the table by working harder until people pay you what you’re worth. The second is to walk away. Many people don’t understand that saying ‘No’ is a super power. If the terms of an agreement don’t favor you, why would you stay? The third way to push is to keep sharing the positive stories of how demanding your worth or walking away from unfavorable situations have led to bigger opportunities.
SB: Your journey serves as an inspiration for many young women, but who has been the biggest influence in shaping your outlook on life and career? Is there a woman who pushed you to think beyond the conventional, and how did she challenge you to grow?
Idia Aisien: My biggest influence has always been my family. They taught me about discipline and creating a structure. It’s become so important for me to build my brand around excellence, because I have many people I feel accountable to. Whenever I make a move as an actress or influencer, I first decide what message I’m trying to communicate to my audience overall. If it’s a movie role, I ask myself if it’s a film my family can watch and that my nieces will be proud of. Any project I’m a part of has to be in line with my overall goals, because I want to be part of stories that are impactful in a bigger way.
SB: If someone were to sum up your legacy in one sentence ten years from now, what would you hope they say about you—what do you want your mark to be, and why is that important to you?
Idia Aisien: I want to be someone that inspires people to excellence whether it’s in fashion or media— I want people to remember how they felt working with me or interacting with me. I hope to be remembered as a woman who broke different boundaries of tribe, color, age and more. I never take no for an answer and people will think anything is possible, because of women like me.
I want people to remember the passion that I brought to every movie set. And I want to be remembered as a great actress and producer from Nigeria, who put out quality movies and always took her work seriously. I dream of being one of the biggest names to ever come out of Africa.
SB: What’s something about the future of the entertainment industry or the nonprofit sector in Africa that excites you, and where do you see yourself contributing to that evolution in the next five years?
Idia Aisien: Nollywood is currently one of the biggest film industries in the world. Initially that used to be about the amount of films we produce, but now it’s more about the fact that there is a global rush and focus on African people and their cultures. Nigeria has better movies than ever before. We have more seasoned actors, who our highly revered veterans have paved the way for. We also have stronger story lines and better production— It’s a world of film where things can only get better! Diving more into production is definitely a priority now, but I would also love to star in a stage play, a musical, an animation, and maybe host my own shows on TV again.
SB: If you could spend a year traveling anywhere in the world, not for work but for personal growth, where would you go, and what kind of experiences would you want to have along the way?
Idia Aisien: When I was younger, I went to India with my father and we stayed on a health farm—it was one of the most wholesome experiences of my life. I noticed this was something my dad did often, so if I wanted to travel for a year I would live in different parts of Asia. I would go to Tibet and practice meditation in a monastery, I would go back to Bali for a spiritual retreat and also Hong Kong or India for an escape wellness retreat.
SB: Your work with the Idia Project and your commitment to education have made a significant impact. In your experience, what is the one thing that truly needs to change in African education to make it more inclusive and accessible to young people in rural and underserved communities?
Idia Aisien: Governance. The work that many organizations and platforms are doing will never reach wide enough without the support of the government. Education needs to be a priority in the country, because inclusivity and accessibility can only be achieved on a wider skill, and have longer term impact if the government is involved.
SB: wAs someone deeply invested in both education and women’s empowerment, how do you ensure that your initiatives prioritize the needs of young girls, especially in areas where cultural expectations limit their opportunities?
Idia Aisien: Through my NGO, The International Development initiative in Africa (The IDIA Project), I have supported causes mostly affecting education and helping the underprivileged. However, I am excited about partnerships that focus on women and people with special needs. Cultural expectations don’t necessarily limit opportunities when there’s proper planning and research. The goal is to always partner with platforms and initiatives that are already highly structured in those areas so that joint solutions are created.
SB: What has been the most eye-opening realization for you during your work with grassroots organizations across Africa, and how does that inform the way you approach social impact today?
Idia Aisien: My biggest realization has been that to tackle any issue the solution must address the root cause of the problem. When planning outreach events, it’s important to not just focus on short term-handouts such as food and other perishable items, but to think bigger. For instance partnering with a catering company that can adequately supply meals daily, or a waste management firm that can provide consistent cleanups etc. The solutions need to be bigger and more long-term.
SB: What advice do you have for people, especially young women, who are trying to merge personal ambition and social impact on balancing personal success with the responsibility of creating change in their communities?
Idia Aisien: I would honestly advise anyone looking to become successful in film to get as much coaching as possible. Never stop learning, never stop practicing your expressions in the mirror, reach out to seasoned actors and ask for feedback on how you can improve. Also, get used to going for auditions; and just have fun with them. The more auditions you attend, the better you will get as an actor. Overall, I think it’s also important to give back to society as a whole, so get involved in groups or community projects that speak to you. In order to balance both, it is important to partner with other NGOs, or join teams of people who are already focused on the same initiatives.
