Prominent northern Actress, Rekiya Atta needs little introduction.

The first child among six siblings, Rekiya grew up mostly in Bauchi but she is Ebira from Kogi state. Born into middle class family, she is the daughter of a business woman who taught her children selfless love, a great woman, very warm and so calm, who loved everybody that came her way, IYARERE to those who witnessed her undeniable love and affection towards Rekiya’s friends,  a devoted Christian who sadly passed away at the prime of her youth in 2012, and a railway worker father who rose to the very top of his career before retiring honourably. His love for his wife was such that he simply lost the will to live that he followed her to the grave barely a year after she passed on!

The love for acting sprouted in her primary school when she acted in the popular children’s programme TALES BY MOONLIGHT. But the blossoming into acting was as a result of the interaction with her siblings while growing up. They acted and mimicked everything and everybody. They created their own plays, organized concerts, had television talk shows and improvised plays.

Little wonder that Rekiya went ahead to pursue her preconceived passion even though her other siblings veered into different careers in architecture, broadcasting, medicine and civil service and are doing incredibly well in their chosen careers.

Through her great sense of adventure while still a student in the university, she acted her first TV soap opera BEHIND THE CLOUDS. She played the role of BARBARA, the lady who snatched BAYO from EFE.  She also acted in RIPPLES. She played the lead role THE PRINCESS OF KAZONDIA in Zack Orji’s film titled RETURN TO KAZONDIA. She played the role of AMINA in Ego Boyo’s film KEEPING FAITH. Her being referred to as the Northern Actress began during the  early era of Nollywood when not too many actresses from that geographical area  were into acting. She speaks Hausa and Yoruba as fluently as a native and speaks impeccable English.

One of her prominent movies aside from Television soap operas like WETIN DEY, US created by Victoria Amede and many others too numerous to mention, is the film titled BATTLE FOR LOVE with the sequel ACROSS THE NIGER where she acted the role of LARABA. ACROSS THE NIGER is a love story where DUBEM (KANAYO O KANAYO) the soldier from the East and SEGUN ARINZE, the soldier from the North both fell in love with LARABA.

LARABA was in love with DUBEM, both got torn apart by the civil war but got reunited across the Niger, which is the Northern part of the country. In the film, SEGUN ARINZE was bent on eliminating KANAYO O KANAYO so he could have LARABA to himself. Against all odds, love conquered and SEGUN ARINZE relented, he eventually helped both LARABA and DUBEM (KOK) to escape to the East.

This film is basically a story of unity and how love transcends all political, ethnic and religious differences in our nation. It was a film that garnered rave reviews at the time Nollywood was first gaining attention of CNN.

Rekiya Atta nee Ibrahim has a degree in Theatre Arts in 1991 from the University of Jos where she exhibited her deep love for directing and acting. She has a second degree in social work and a masters degree in the same field from the same University. Her thirst for knowledge predates her acting career as she constantly enrolls for programmes and seminars for self actualization and advancement. She has an extensive library for her very large collection of books.

Rekiya’s classmates at the University of Jos were Obinna Nwafor ( saint Obi), Florence Onuma, Tajudeen Adepetu, Salomey Eferemo of AIT, (remember the mother who was dancing in the MTN advert MAMA NA BOY?) and recently appointed Executive Director of Nigerian film and censors board Adedayo Thomas.

During a career in the civil service, Rekiya rose to the enviable position of corporate affairs manager and special assistant in one of the Federal Government Agencies.

Rekiya Atta has worked in Rwanda under an exchange programme  which involved setting up orphanages. She worked with AIT and is currently concentrating on film making and her consulting firm.  Despite a glittering career and celebrity status ,  Rekiya cherishes her privacy. Little wonder her extensive body of work in the movies often comes as a surprise.  She has also mentored and nurtured several  up-coming thespians who are currently making waves in the movie industry.

She is a mother to Sulaiman, a budding musician schooling in the UK, Fawaz who is studying Law in the UK, Ibrahim who is in high school and a very special girl Jemimah.

Rekiya  also has so many non- biological children under her care,  graduates, undergraduates, artisans, etc . Rekiya, friendly and warm loves people that she has constant stream of people living or visiting her house. This very generous disposition is a trait she inherited  from her late mother.

Rekiya loves perfumes and has a wide range of exotic perfumes which she says are mostly gifts from fans, so much that she is yet to buy any by herself. She says she would holler the public when she ever does.

Rekiyah is an adventurous cook and she loves seafood especially prawn.