Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) Biography: Age, Net Worth 2026, AMAA Best Actor, Delta State Commissioner, Family, and the Full Story

Richard Mofe-Damijo, known to most Nigerians simply as RMD, has held a range of roles: soap-opera actor, newspaper writer, film producer, law graduate, awards host and state commissioner. He first became widely known in the 1990s as a villain on a Nigerian television soap, won the Best Actor in a Leading Role prize at the very first Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005, and later served in the Delta State government for six years while still working as an actor.

He was born on July 6, 1961, in Aladja, in the Udu Kingdom of present-day Delta State. He is now 65 years old. Wikipedia describes him as a Nigerian actor, writer, producer, lawyer and former journalist, and the entry for him carries the honorific “Chief.” His filmography runs from 1990s Nollywood classics to The Wedding Party, King of Boys: The Return of the King and The Black Book, and an international project, Children of Blood and Bone, is listed on Wikipedia for 2027.

This is his full biography, including the places where sources disagree.

Richard Mofe-Damijo Biography Facts at a Glance

Early Life and Education

Richard Mofe-Damijo was born on July 6, 1961 in Aladja, a community in the Udu Kingdom of Delta State. Some film-database listings give Warri as his birthplace, but Wikipedia and a Voice of Nigeria profile both place his birth in Aladja. He attended Midwest College in Warri and Anglican Grammar School, where he was a member of the drama club.

He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Benin and later studied law at the University of Lagos, graduating in 2004. One film database says he returned to university to study law in 1997.

Journalism and Soap Opera Fame

Before acting made him famous, he worked as a writer. According to Wikipedia, he had a stint with the daily newspaper The Concord and with the magazines Metro and Quality. After his theatre arts degree, he appeared in the soap opera Ripples as a police inspector, but he gained more popularity as the villain Segun Kadiri in a rival soap, Checkmate.

Film Career: From Out of Bounds to Nollywood Classics

Out of Bounds was the first film for which he received a writer and producer credit. Wikipedia’s filmography lists it as 1997, although the Wikipedia article it links to is about a 2005 film, so the exact year is unclear. Through the late 1990s and the 2000s he appeared in a large number of Nollywood films, including Hostages (1997), Scores to Settle (1998, with Liz Benson and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde), Diamond Ring (1998, as Chief Dike) and The Price (1999, as Pastor Ken).

Wikipedia lists many early-2000s co-stars, including Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic and Ini Edo. His credits include When God Says Yes (2003, as Harry, with Pete Edochie), Private Sin (with Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie Okereke and Olu Jacobs), The Intruder and True Romance (2004, as Jim, with Rita Dominic), Indecent Girl (2004, with Ini Edo) and Critical Assignment (2004, as The President, with Hakeem Kae-Kazim).

Africa Movie Academy Awards: 2005 and 2016

At the maiden edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005, he won Best Actor in a Leading Role. It is the honour most often attached to his name. Eleven years later, at the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2016, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award; a Nollywood Community report named Pete Edochie as the person who presented it.

In Government: Delta State

In 2008 he was appointed Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism to Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, and from 2009 to 2015 he served as the state’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism. Wikipedia cites a Delta State Government news item on the swearing in of two new commissioners for the appointment. During this period he remained an actor; a Nigerian Voice article cited by Wikipedia carries a headline to the effect that he was still an actor, special adviser or not.

Later Career: The Wedding Party and the Streaming Era

His screen work after 2014 includes 30 Days in Atlanta (2014), Dinner (2016) and The Wedding Party (2016), in which he played Felix Onwuka alongside Sola Sobowale, Ireti Doyle and Adesua Etomi, and reprised the role in The Wedding Party 2 (2017). He also appeared in 10 Days in Sun City (2017), God Calling (2019, with Onyeka Onwenu) and Love Is War (2019, as Dimeji Phillips, with Omoni Oboli).

On television, he played Tega Castle in Castle & Castle (2018) and Reverend Ifeanyi in King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021). In 2022 he appeared in Palava! (as Osa Wonda, with Mercy Aigbe) and in Far From Home (with Funke Akindele). In 2023 he played Paul Edima in The Black Book and Chief Fernandez in Shanty Town, the series that Ini Edo produced. More recent credits include Radio Voice and Makemation (both 2025), and Children of Blood and Bone, listed on Wikipedia for 2027 alongside Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Damson Idris, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Viola Davis.

Honours and Public Appearances

• 2012: Special Recognition Award at the Best of Nollywood Awards
• 2014: Vanguard reported in July 2014 that the Nollywood Igbo Film Festival was set to confer an honorary chieftaincy title on him for his contributions to Igbo cinema
• January 5, 2017: Co-hosted the 2016 Glo-CAF Awards with journalist Mimi Fawaz
• 2018: Most Outstanding Individual at the Nollywood Travel Film Festival Awards
• December 8, 2021: Received a Black Star Honor at Rhymes on Da Runway in Accra, Ghana
• 2022: Continental Film Icon at the Exclusive Men of the Year Africa Awards
• 2024: Industry Merit Award at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, alongside Iya Rainbow

Personal Life

Mofe-Damijo was married to Mary Ellen “MEE” Ezekiel, a journalist, publisher and talk show host. She died in 1996, and the Guardian published a remembrance in 2017, 21 years later. After her death he married Jumobi Adegbesan, a television personality who later left broadcasting for the corporate sector. Wikipedia says he has five children, citing an older profile; other sites give different counts, as noted below.

Richard Mofe-Damijo’s Net Worth in 2026

There is no verified figure for his net worth, so this article does not publish one. One low-quality site cites $7 million, but that number has no supporting source. His income plausibly comes from acting and producing fees, but none of it is documented in the sources used.

Awards and Recognition

Selected Filmography

Career Timeline

What Sources Disagree On

• Birthplace. Wikipedia and a Voice of Nigeria profile say Aladja in Udu Kingdom. TMDB and other film databases say Warri, which is the nearby city.
• Birth year. All reliable sources give 1961. One low-quality page gives “July 6, 1991” in one line and “1961” in another, which is a typo.
• Number of children. Wikipedia says five. Another site says two from his earlier marriage and two with his current wife, which would make four. This article uses Wikipedia’s figure and flags the difference.
• Out of Bounds. Wikipedia’s filmography lists it as 1997, but its link points to a 2005 film. Other profiles also list it as 1997.
• Private Sin. Wikipedia dates it to 2003, while another profile lists it under 1999.
• Academy membership. One government-hosted profile says he was recently inducted into the Oscars Academy. This could not be confirmed from other sources, so it is not stated as fact.
• Net worth. Published figures vary and none is verified.

Why Richard Mofe-Damijo Matters

RMD’s career spans several eras of Nigerian screen history. He became known through 1990s television soaps, was part of the video-film boom of the late 1990s and 2000s, and is still working in streaming-era films and series. His award record includes the first AMAA Best Actor prize, a lifetime achievement honour and an industry merit award, and his six years as a Delta State commissioner add a formal government role in culture and tourism to his acting career.

For readers following this library, he also connects many of its subjects through his credits: Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Ini Edo, Onyeka Onwenu, Mercy Aigbe and Funke Akindele all appear alongside him in titles on his filmography.

Frequently Asked Questions About Richard Mofe-Damijo

How old is Richard Mofe-Damijo?

Richard Mofe-Damijo is 65 years old as of October 2026. He was born on July 6, 1961.

Where is RMD from?

He was born in Aladja, in the Udu Kingdom of Delta State, and his state of origin is Delta State. Some listings give Warri, the nearby city.

What did Richard Mofe-Damijo study?

He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Benin and law at the University of Lagos, graduating in 2004. His secondary education was at Midwest College in Warri and Anglican Grammar School.

What is Richard Mofe-Damijo’s biggest award?

He won Best Actor in a Leading Role at the first Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005. He later received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th AMAA (2016) and the Industry Merit Award at the 2024 AMVCA.

Was RMD a commissioner?

Yes. He was appointed Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism to Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2008 and served as the state’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism from 2009 to 2015.

What TV shows made RMD famous?

He first became famous through the 1990s soap operas Ripples, where he played a police inspector, and Checkmate, where he played the villain Segun Kadiri.

What are RMD’s best-known recent films?

Recent credits include The Wedding Party and The Wedding Party 2, King of Boys: The Return of the King, The Black Book, Shanty Town, Radio Voice and Makemation.

Who is Richard Mofe-Damijo married to?

According to Wikipedia, he married Jumobi Adegbesan, a television personality who later moved into the corporate sector. His first wife, journalist and publisher May Ellen “MEE” Ezekiel, died in 1996.

What is Richard Mofe-Damijo’s net worth in 2026?

There is no verified figure, so this article does not publish one.