Osereme Inegbenebor is a heavy bundle of talent and creativity in Nigeria’s media space, defying the bounds of conventionality and defined by a string of elusive features that keep her as fluid in form as she’s firm in impact. A sportscaster, actor, compère, producer, and sometimes model, her multi-hyphenate disciplines collide, blur, and build on one another, summing up a nationwide multimedia presence and influence that she’s crafted on her own terms. This layered media persona is a product of many years of leaning into what comes naturally to her, though if she had to be located today, sportcasting and acting would be her anchors, fields she’s thrived in since 2017 and 2018.

Formally trained at the University of Benin where she earned a B.A. in Foreign Languages (French major) and a Diploma in Theatre, Osereme’s foray into the screen world felt inevitable. “I always knew I was made for the screen,” she says, her conviction contagious and radiating a truth that clearly stands as one of her north stars. But even her conviction couldn’t limit her to a straight line. Brick by brick, she’s built her career across multiple disciplines in a clime that often offers little room for far-reaching creatives to stretch their wings. But stretch she does, and in doing so, she is evolving into a genius of a multi-media professional.

Osereme has come a long way. From breaking into sports media with Goal in 2017 to subsequent stints at SuperSport and Afrosport, her voice has steadily grown louder within Nigeria’s sports community. On the acting front, her debut came in Obi Emelonye’s Netflix-helmed medical series Heart & Soul in 2019. Since then, she’s continued to grow her acting portfolio, with 2025 shaping up to be a year to remember after a standout role in Omoni Oboli’s record-breaking Love in Every Word, as well as lead performances in Baby Farm and Lockdown.

 

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In this conversation with Bounce Sports, Osereme unpacks the layers of her hats, the overlaps and tensions between them, and how she’s navigating their demands in pursuit of a lasting mark.

*This interview has been slightly edited for brevity and clarity.

One can say that your Diploma in Theatre informed your acting career or played a role to an extent.  But what about your sports-casting path? Was there a specific click when you knew it was a path you’d truly commit to?

Yes, it did. I always wanted to be an actor, a cliché, but I always knew I was made for the screen. To be honest, I never really nursed an interest in sports growing up, even though I was exposed to football by my siblings while growing up.

Fast forward to 2017, after Uni, Goal.com was looking to pivot into the video side of things, and they needed a sportscaster. I went in for the audition, and from there, I can say the rest is history. I subsequently worked with SuperSport for about two years, then moved on to Afrosport for roughly two years as well.

I didn’t always know sports was going to be a major for me, it just happened and I’ve never looked back since. 

Safe to say your big break was with Goal?

Yes, but I’d credit it to Goal and SuperSport, really. Goal because they brought me into the industry when it was mostly dominated by men. After a while, I got an offer to host Budweiser King of Football on SuperSport, which I did for about three seasons. That also helped a lot.

Compared to when you started, is there now sufficient female representation in the sports media space, not just in numbers, but in influence and voice?

There are definitely more women in the space now, numbers-wise. But when it comes to influence, it’s still growing.

We have people like Suo Chapele making giant strides as a journalist and commentator, and Debby Larry of Brila Media doing great things in administration. There are definitely more women coming up, but we haven’t quite reached where we need to be yet.

Is there any overlap between your different roles, and do they ever come into conflict, either in execution or perception?

Yes, particularly with conflicting schedules at times.

I have a show that I host for MTN — the MTN Super Falcons show. Sometimes I’d have to travel for work or be on set to film, and then I’m also required to be on the MTN show. So, the conflicting schedules is a thing. But I’ve been managing this well, thanks to the amazing people I work with. It helps that I’m not just making empty claims; the growth on both sides of the spectrum has been evident, so I’ve had willingness from them to work with my schedules.

Then there’s the perception part. In my early days, I wasn’t always taken seriously. I remember when I started acting, people kept saying I wasn’t committed to sportscasting anymore, that I couldn’t possibly do both. Some even said that it was already hard enough being a woman in the male-dominated sports space, and now I was adding acting to the mix. 

But that’s no longer the case. My work speaks for itself now, and I’m constantly pushing to grow and improve across all my roles. The only challenge that still comes up is the overlapping schedules, but I do my best to work around them.

What would you say has truly powered your growth — the one constant that has been immense across your different career paths, aside from the consistency you mentioned earlier?

My talents. I’m super talented. Alongside consistency, I’d say talent, God, and family support have played huge roles. My family has always believed in me. My mum has been calling me a celebrity from time immemorial. That belief has carried me through tough times.

There was a period I took a break from acting, not because I wanted it, but because the jobs weren’t coming. I was tired of going for auditions and not landing roles, so I decided to focus on sports. I was with SuperSport then. It was quite depressing, honestly. But my family stood by me through the rough patch.

And I’d also say conviction. I’ve always known I would make a name for myself in whatever space I found myself. And having people around me who affirmed that belief made all the difference.

What has been the most rewarding part of this multidisciplinary journey for you, professionally and personally?

Personally, I’d say it’s my finances. They’re great. You know, football is my major, it’s the core of what I talk about, what I influence for brands, and all that. So, over the course of a season, when there is a slew of competitions or tournaments to sportscast, host watch parties, and collaborate with brands, there’s enough that keeps my purse growing.

But when it’s the off-season and the football space goes quiet, I fall back on my acting, modelling, and producer roles to bring in money. So, financially, it helps a lot that I’m covered. Whichever way, I’m always somewhere making money.

Professionally, it’s fulfilling. There’s always a sense of pride when I’m introduced across my different roles, and I catch the surprise or admiration on people’s faces. It also helps that these roles intersect and support each other across the board. As an actor, making a name for myself directly impacts my work as a sportscaster. I’ve secured sports influencing deals while acting and vice versa, thanks to brands that identify with me.

How do you hold on to your identity amid the demands of being a public figure?

I get asked this question a lot, and I usually respond by saying I don’t feel any pressure to be what I’m not. I say that a lot. But today, I’ll answer differently: it’s a lot. Especially when one career starts to take the back seat to another.

There are times when I’m in high demand as an actor, and I have little time for my sports commitments, aside from the projects I can pre-record or handle remotely. But it’s not always that simple. I’ve had to cancel jobs in favour of others.

If I have to admit it today, it’s not 50/50. It’s never perfectly balanced.

Even as a model, take the last GTCO Fashion Weekend for example. I was meant to walk the runway, but I couldn’t because I was on a film set. Modelling has taken more of a backseat now; it’s become something I only do occasionally.

So yes, having all these different things tugging at me can be a lot. But amidst it all, I just keep showing up and winging it through, really.

So, how would you say your commitment is split between your roles right now?

If you’d asked me this between 2018 and 2021, sports would have definitely taken the bigger share of the split. But now, acting takes it with 60/40. It has been a particularly filled year with acting, but I’m still holding on to a good share of my commitment to sports, regardless. I can’t just let all the work I’ve done on the side of the industry go down the drain because my acting career is on a high.

Even if I stopped appearing on screen as a sportscaster for some reason, I’d still work behind the scenes. My name will always be linked to sports in one way or another. I don’t think I can leave it totally — I’d rather stay involved, even if it’s off-screens

Thanks for the honesty. Is there a particular project you’ve worked on that holds deep significance to you but doesn’t get enough buzz?

It has to be the MTN Super Falcons Show. It’s one of the few, if not the only, TV shows dedicated entirely to everything about the Super Falcons. There’s a lot of coverage for the Super Eagles, but this show focuses solely on the women’s team.

The show actually grew out of another MTN show on the Super Eagles called We Move With Super Eagles — a countdown series ahead of the 2022 AFCON, which was eventually played in 2023 in Cameroon. The show was everywhere. So MTN decided to try a similar format with the Super Falcons, and I was brought on board since I was a major part of the first instalment that focused on the men.

However, since we started around 2022/23, the numbers haven’t been as encouraging as with the Eagles’ show. It doesn’t get the buzz I feel it deserves.

Social media is a central tool for your work. But with it also comes the endless trolling, critiques, and misinterpretation. How do you stay above these?

 I think I’m a tough nut to crack, so most of the things that come with being in the limelight just bounce off my shoulders. Over time, I’ve also learned to be intentional about what I share — I put out only what I want people to see. So, you can’t really use my own content against me.

My family and close friends are a solid reality check for whenever (if ever) things start to get into my head. They have full permission to always keep me in check, and honestly, social media isn’t my whole life — I take breaks when necessary.

Social media pressure is real. I’ve experienced it firsthand, and I’m just grateful I’ve come out of it unscathed.