Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has offered a first look at her acting debut in the Netflix series Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, the much-anticipated second season of filmmaker Kunle Afolayan’s Yoruba epic fantasy franchise.
Dabiri-Erewa shared a short clip from the series on X (formerly Twitter), revealing her portrayal of the Iyalode – a revered female leader who intervenes to broker peace between two warring communities.
In the post, she described the appearance as “a little stint” in Afolayan’s “legendary” project and urged audiences not to miss the series, now streaming on Netflix.
The appearance marks Dabiri-Erewa’s first foray into acting. Her casting was announced in mid-January 2026 as part of a major expansion of the franchise’s ensemble. She features alongside Portuguese actor Pedro Teixeira and popular Nigerian media personality Bukunmi KieKie Adeaga-Ilori, among other new additions.
Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, which premiered globally on January 30, 2026, continues the story introduced in the 2022 film Aníkúlápó.
The series broadens its mythic canvas, deepening themes of power, loyalty, love and the supernatural within a richly imagined Yoruba world stretching across Oyo and beyond. The official trailer underscores a central motif of awakened powers that come at a steep personal and communal cost.
To mark the release, Afolayan hosted a series of premiere events and a watch party at KAP Film Village and Resorts, reinforcing the project’s cultural grounding and cinematic ambition.
Set in Oyo State, the venue has become synonymous with Afolayan’s visually immersive storytelling.
Early reactions have praised the sequel’s elevated production values and its expanded, star-studded cast.
Dabiri-Erewa’s cameo, in particular, has drawn attention as a notable crossover from public service into screen performance, an appearance that adds symbolic weight to a story centred on leadership, mediation and the consequences of power.
