Veteran Nollywood actress Remilekun Oshodi, popularly known as Remi Surutu, has declared that she was Nigeria’s first video vixen, revealing that she featured in some of the country’s earliest music videos for Fuji legend Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Juju maestro Ebenezer Obey.
The 56-year-old actress made the claim during an interview on Oyinmomo, where she reflected on her early years in the entertainment industry and how she ventured into music video appearances shortly after beginning her acting career in 1985.
She said the opportunity came through a staff member of Lagos Television, then known as LTV 8, who informed her about plans to pioneer music video productions in Nigeria.
According to her, the development opened a new path in the entertainment scene at a time when music videos were still largely unfamiliar in the country.
She explained that she was subsequently invited to appear in productions for leading musicians of the era.
“Not long after I started my acting career, I saw Mr Babs Fashina. He was at Lagos Television, LTV 8, at the time, and he told me they were planning to start shooting music videos in Nigeria,” she said.
“That is why I always say I am the first video vixen in Nigeria. I danced in Ebenezer Obey’s “Eniyan Ti Mo Feran” Ju and Barrister’s Fuji Garbage.”
Remi Surutu, an indigene of Ondo State, began her acting journey in 1985 and steadily built a reputation in the Yoruba movie industry.
Her breakthrough came after featuring in the classic television drama series “Village Headmaster”, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated productions of its time.
She rose to wider fame after starring in the Yoruba blockbuster “Surutu”, a role that resonated strongly with audiences and eventually earned her the nickname “Remi Surutu,” which has remained with her throughout her career.
Since then, the actress has gone on to feature in hundreds of Nollywood productions, becoming one of the respected faces in the Yoruba and broader Nigerian film industry.
Her latest revelation adds another dimension to her long career, placing her among the early entertainers who helped shape Nigeria’s music video culture before it evolved into the thriving visual industry seen today.
