Jade Osiberu praises Joke Silva for backing her during a funding pitch for debut film Isoken, highlighting women who supported her career journey

Nigerian filmmaker Jade Osiberu, founder of Greoh Studios and director of several Nollywood hits, has revealed that veteran actress Joke Silva played a decisive role in helping her secure funding for her debut feature film Isoken.

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Osiberu made the revelation on Monday in an Instagram post reflecting on the women who supported her professional journey.

The filmmaker shared the story shortly after speaking at an International Women’s Day event where she discussed the impact of female mentors and advocates throughout her career.

The filmmaker said Silva intervened during a pitch session organised by the Bank of Industry’s NollyFund programme when Osiberu was seeking a loan to produce Isoken.

According to Osiberu, several male members of the panel initially dismissed the project as unrealistic.

Silva, however, spoke in support of the proposal and ensured that Osiberu was shortlisted for funding.

“Joke Silva was the only female on the NollyFund panel when I was pitching for a loan to make my first film, Isoken,” Osiberu wrote.

“When a number of the men on the panel dismissed my plans as idealistic, Aunty J spoke up for me and ensured I was shortlisted to get the funding. I ended up being one of only a handful of filmmakers who paid back that loan.”

Osiberu used the moment to celebrate women who have opened doors for her career.

The filmmaker also highlighted the influence of her former corporate supervisor, Lola Odedina, whom Osiberu described as her first professional champion during her banking career.

Osiberu recalled that Odedina once arranged a meeting with the managing director of GTBank to allow Osiberu pitch the idea for Ndani TV directly, a gesture the filmmaker described as a powerful boost to her confidence.

Another deeply personal moment in the reflection involved Osiberu’s mother, who offered her home as collateral for the loan used to finance Isoken.

The filmmaker said the sacrifice remains one of the most emotional memories of her early career, noting the risk her mother took to support the project.

Osiberu also acknowledged collaborators who have contributed to her more recent success, including colleagues who helped facilitate a landmark agreement with Prime Video for her production company, Greoh Studios.

That partnership led to the release of Gangs of Lagos in 2023, the first Nigerian original film distributed on the streaming platform.

The deal formed part of a three year arrangement to produce original films and series.

Osiberu began her career in banking before transitioning into media, working with Ndani TV.

The filmmaker later moved into film production, directing and producing titles including Isoken, Sugar Rush, Brotherhood and Gangs of Lagos.

Released in 2017, Isoken marked Osiberu’s feature film debut and established the director as one of the most influential female voices in contemporary Nollywood.

Also read: ‘Gangs of Lagos’ Director Jáde Osiberu on Making Nigeria’s First Gangster Epic

Reflecting on the journey, Osiberu described the encouragement she received from women across different stages of her career as a transformative force that shaped her path in the film industry.