Many people have big dreams, but it takes determination not to divert from them and work towards making such dreams a reality. This is the tale of a Nollywood actress and the founder of Rok TV and director of Rok Studios, Mary Nnenna Njoku. She is a Nigerian actress, film producer, entrepreneur, and Director General of the award-winning Lagos-based film house, ROK Studios.
Her stakes in the entertainment industry have made her a powerhouse and a film magnate. Although, Mary Njoku made her acting debut in 2004, in Home Sickness but came to the spotlight after starring in Blackberry Babes in 2011. In order to advance her acting career, Mary attended the London films Academy in the UK where she did a course on Producing: Movie Magic Budgeting & Schedule in 2012.
African Giant Mary Njoku has starred in numerous movies, among her greatest achievements is the establishment of ROK Studios, one of the largest film production houses in Africa. Njoku founded it in August 2013.
In 2016, ROK was launched on Sky, and subsequently on DSTV and GOTV. Currently, it has ROK, ROK 2, and ROK 3 on DSTV to meet the growing demand of film lovers. ROK has over 15 million subscribers in Nigeria and over 12.5 million viewers in the UK. Also, it has an animation studio and owns one of the largest content libraries in Nigeria.
The unique African stories told by Nollywood have brought a spike of interest by foreign media in original African content. In July 2019, ROK Studios was acquired by CANAL+, a French film and television series distributor. After the CANAL+ acquisition, The talented actress now sits as the Director-General of the company.
As confirmed by Mary Njoku, Rok Studios ensures authentic African stories are told by teams of super-talented African writers, actors, producers, and directors. Under ROK Studios, she has produced hundreds of films and TV series such as Festac Town, a series that centers on Festac (a town in Lagos Nigeria where Mary grew up), Hazeezat, Husband of Lagos, Single Ladies, Thy Will Be Done, among others.
Mary Njoku is a prime example of someone who has pursued her dreams and achieved great success. Despite facing several challenges along the way, she has persevered and remained dedicated to her goals.
