By Christy Anyanwu
Ibinabo Fiberesima is a veteran actress, director, producer and former beauty queen. She went off the radar and was quiet for some years.
And just recently her pictures went viral on social media, crying in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Sunday Sun spoke to this ex-beauty queen at the just concluded Miss World, Nigeria held in Lagos on April 4, 2025.
You have been off the stage for a while, what do you do now?
I am into productions. I am starting to get into politics and I am trying to find myself again, find new ways of living.
So, you’ve stopped acting?
I haven’t stopped acting. I slowed down. You remember something happened to me 19 years ago, an accident, and I went into depression. You know, it’s easy for people to come to social media and throw things at you. But the damage, that is something they don’t realise. But God has brought me out of all that and I’m beginning to breathe again. I’m beginning to exhale. I’m beginning to find myself.
Tell us about your foundation?
I have Miss Earth Nigeria. It’s a beauty pageant I have hosted for 24 years. It promotes environmental sustainability. It brings young girls to present Nigeria, talking about the sustainability of the environment, talking about how to stop using plastics, and plant trees. As everybody can admit now, the heat is as if it wants to kill us. Yes, it could kill us because the ozone layer is burning. So, we need to understand that there is climate change. Rain is coming when it’s not rainy season. Everything is beginning to happen. I’ve been talking about it for 24 years now and it’s eventually sinking. We all need to restrategise on the environment.
You are looking more beautiful, what’s the secret?
Well, it’s the grace of God. Like I told you, I had bipolar depression. So, I lost a lot of weight. For me, I’m gaining weight. I was away from social media and away from everything. I looked like a scarecrow then, if you saw me, something was wrong with me. Bipolar depression. Now, thank God, I’m finding myself.
Were you in this country or did you travel out?
I am in Nigeria, but not in Lagos. I left Lagos. We all can’t live in Lagos. We all need to create things outside Lagos. Creatives need to dream. We all can’t come and breathe in Lagos. Lagos is choking some of us. Let us spread out, because we have Mother Earth that we can excel in. Let us excel on this earth. I’m an Ijaw girl and, for me, my culture is superior. My culture is beautiful. I want to showcase my culture. I want to tell the world who we are. And that’s why I am where I am. I will do it. Do you see the Yoruba? I am half Yoruba. My father’s mother is Yoruba. She is Majekodunmi. I speak Yoruba very well and I grew up with my grandmothers.
In Lagos, today, my grandmother’s sister, the only one left, died on Monday. We buried her today. She was Chief (Mrs) Adekanla Lambo. So, I have Yoruba strong blood. The owner of St. Nicholas is my grandmother’s immediate younger brother. So, nobody should think that I am putting Yoruba down. No, I can never do that. It’s my culture. What I know is my father is Ijaw and I will celebrate that culture too. As the world knows Yoruba, they will know Ijaw because we are fierce. Can you imagine Yoruba and Ijaw together? Mixed, only me, joined with Irish. So, I want to celebrate us the way the Yoruba celebrate. I admire them with all my strength. I want to do the same for the Ijaw nation because we can do it. But we all can’t come and live in Lagos to do it. How was life growing up in Lagos? It’ was beautiful. Lagos was the place to be. Lagos had it all. That’s why I went back home. We can do the same thing. Lagos and Port Harcourt (Rivers State) are the same age. They created the two states at the same time. So, what is missing? I think it’s leadership and we will get it right. Was it because of your accident and depression that you left Lagos? Not necessarily. But I had to bring my family to heal. Something happened in 2006. Yes, February 2006. I was in a car accident. Recently, you were seen crying in Port Harcourt and it went viral; why? Yes, I was crying. People said that I was crying because I was in pain. You will be amazed that I don’t know the governor well. For me, that day, I saw the army and vehicles, and I just had a flashback to where we were many years ago when Port Harcourt was not safe. I knew Port Harcourt of that era. If I went to my village then, they would tell you to hands up in the boat. I’m like, why? Because the army wants you to hands up and, I’m thinking, why are we going through this? But this young governor, for once, after 16 years, is listening to creatives. He’s trying to bring back a life we know. And then this (emergency rule) happened. When will we wake up? Sometimes, people say I’m too emotional. This is not politics, but then I have come to understand you guys say it is democracy. What is democracy? Is that where we are? No, not at all. So, I think we have to redefine the demonstration of peace. Because that’s what it is. Why did you go into politics? I am in politics. And I went with a heart to heal my people, lift my people, make them believe they can be anybody they want to be. With what has played out, I’m heartbroken, because I know Baba, the President. He’s like a father to me and I know him. A lot of things are not right. It’s either he is not being told the truth or something is wrong. But he will find out. That’s why he’s who he is and things will reverse. But you see that our young governor? The grace of God upon that man’s life, people will see it and they’ll be happy. That’s what I have to say. I said the same thing about Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Everyone said he’s stupid, he’s crazy, and till today he’s doing our work. Power is transient. Let us fear God. I know politics is not for the emotional. When Tinubu was governor of Lagos State, things happened in this state and those things have not stopped. Things are progressing. That’s what we are looking for.
Which party do you belong to? We don’t have a party in Port Harcourt. We are in Simfubara. We love our governor, His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara.