Poverty didn’t shame me – Iheme Nancy

Nollywood actress Iheme Nancy is not one to shy away from her truth. In a moving account of her upbringing, she spoke openly about the hurdles she faced on her path to fame—and the unseen hands that helped her rise.

“My mom is late. My father is alive and striving. It’s not easy, but we’re all pushing,” she began.

Iheme Nancy graduated from a state university, where she studied business education. Her academic journey was marked by resilience, but her personal life painted an even deeper story.

“My father was a civil servant, not a rich man. Trust me, growing up was not easy. But there’s this saying: don’t allow your background to keep your back on the ground. Poverty didn’t shame me—I didn’t grow.”

She recalled how her late mother once owned a small restaurant and how that helped keep the family fed. But even with food on the table, life was far from rosy.

“I didn’t really grow up with my parents,” she said. “I spent part of my childhood in Aba. I went to primary school there.

“But at some point, I was sent to live with my aunt—and that woman didn’t treat me well. I slept in a kitchen store, ran errands endlessly. She thought she was punishing me, but she was preparing me. Look at me now.”

Her passion for acting was ignited at a young age. Watching Nollywood movies through a neighbour’s window, she told a friend named Promise that one day she would be on TV. That spark never died.

“A friend eventually linked me to Mr. China—Mollins Ch—who groomed me into the industry,” she recalled. “That was around 2016.”

Though she entered Nollywood with big dreams, Nancy insists her rise was not marked by scandal or compromise.

“I did not suffer like others. I never had to sleep with anyone for a role. God just placed the right people in my life. Some people are your destiny helpers.”

Despite being called stingy by some in the industry, she takes pride in her boundaries.

“Yes, I’m stingy. I don’t give in to what people want. But I’m okay with that because I have my dignity. I love this job, and now people can create YouTube content without being at the mercy of marketers.”