Zainab Balogun Biography: Education, Career, Husband, Movies, Awards

Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu is a Nigerian model, television host, and actor. She began modeling at the age of 16 after being discovered. She has appeared in a number of worldwide commercials for various companies. She is one of the co-founders of The J-ist TV, an online entertainment web series that features interviews with some of Africa’s most important personalities and focuses on African culture and a variety of contemporary issues.

Balogun is a television presenter for the EbonyLife TV entertainment network, where she currently co-hosts and produces The Spot with Lamide Akintobi, the channel’s top chat show. Zainab Balogun also appears as a presenter and assistant producer on Jumia TV, a teleshopping program.

Early Life & Education

Zainab Balogun was born in London on October 10, 1989, to Nigerian parents. She was raised in Clapham, South West London, amid a large extended family. She is of the Egba tribe and was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Because of the nature of her mother’s work, Zainab Balogun moved around a lot and spent most of her childhood with relatives.

Zainab Balogun completed her secondary school education at Sacred Heart RC Secondary School. She began participating in talent shows and school plays on a regular basis, which kindled her interest in acting. She studied music and finally joined the school choir before forming Regné with two classmates as an R&B girl trio. At Christ the King Sixth Form College, Zainab studied law, psychology, and English language and literature. She continued her education at the University of Kent in Medway, where she earned a law degree.

Career

Premier Models Management spotted Zainab Balogun when she was 16 years old, launching her modeling career. She began acting after graduating from law school, appearing in series such as Ashley Waters’ The Charlatans, Material Girl on BBC One, and the 2012 Bollywood blockbuster Cocktail. In 2011, she made a name for herself on the set of The Dark Knight Rises, working alongside famed producer Christopher Nolan.

Balogun now works as a television host and presenter for the EbonyLife TV entertainment network. She has also established shows such as EL Now, a daily entertainment news show that focuses on the latest in music, fashion, and the arts. She is currently one of the hosts of The Spot, a daily chat show she co-hosts with Lamide Akintobi and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

Personal life

In May 2018, Balogun married Dikko Nwachukwu, the founder of Jetwest Airways. The traditional wedding took place on May 13 in Lagos, Nigeria. Dikko, Zainab’s husband, is a widower with two children, Ethan and Eli, who have become Zainab’s children after the pair married.

Zaina opened up about her battle with endometriosis, a disorder in which tissue grows outside of a woman’s uterus, in March 2022. In an Instagram post, the actress stated that the condition has caused her excruciating pain for more than 20 years. She admitted that the procedure had caused her hair to fall out.

Selected Movies

• 2021 Fine Wine
• 2021 Charge and Bail
• 2018 Sylvia
• 2018 Chief Daddy
• 2018 God Calling
• 2017 The Wedding Party 2
• 2017 The Royal Hibiscus Hotel
• 2016 The Wedding Party
• 2016 Ojukokoro (Greed)
• 2015 A Soldier’s Story
• 2012 Cocktail
• 2011 The Dark Knight Rises

TV Series

• 2015 Before 30
• 2014 Jumia TV
• 2014 VHS: Music Artist Wannabe Skit
• 2014 Verdict
• 2013 Knock Knock
• 2012 EL Now
• 2012 The Spot
• 2012 The Charlatans
• 2012 Material Girl

Awards and Nominations

Net Worth

According to multiple sources, Zainab Balogun has an estimated net worth of $1 million. She has a very rich businessman husband.