Person
Okawa Shaznay
From Wikipedia
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 Awards for TV Actress of the year in 2016 for her role in Delilah. In April 2026, she was honored with a star on the Cameroon Wall of Fame in recognition of her contribution to African cinema.
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. In April 2026, Shaznay was honored with a star on the Cameroon Wall of Fame during the 10th edition of the Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF), recognizing her contribution to African cinema as a Cameroonian actress. The induction took place on 25 April 2026 in Buea, Cameroon
This record is provisional: it was compiled from the cited sources but has not yet been checked by an InsideKamer editor.
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