Okawa Shaznay

Okawa Shaznay is a Nollywood actress from Cameroon and the first from her country to successfully break into Nollywood with her role in the blockbuster movie Iyore; starring alongside Rita Dominic and Joseph Benjamin. Okawa Shaznay has also gained more prominence with her leading role in the 2016 hit TV series Delilah: The Mysterious Case of Delilah Ambrose. She won the Exquisite Lady of the Year (ELOY) award for TV Actress of the year in 2016 for her role in Delilah.

Early life and background Okawa Shaznay was born in Cameroon. She began her secondary school education in Presbyterian Secondary School Mankon, Bamenda, Cameroon. Shaznay later moved to the United States, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Texas Southern University.

Career

Some of her notable work includes the 2016 film Refugees, in which she starred alongside Yvonne Nelson and Belinda Effah. In 2019, she starred in In My Country directed by Frank Rajah Arase with Sam Dede and Bimbo Manuel. The film received international distribution on Netflix, and she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2018 Africa Movie Academy Awards for her performance. She also starred in the 2021 Zuri 24 Media production Movement Japa alongside Gideon Okeke and Sambasa Nzeribe, which aired on Showmax and Africa Magic. In 2025, she starred as the title character in the fantasy film Tarella, directed by Kayode Kasum and Lolo Eremie, alongside Richard Mofe-Damijo, Timini Egbuson, and Elvina Ibru. The film was released in Nigerian cinemas in February 2025.

Filmography

Awards and nominations