At Exquisite Magazine, Africa’s number one visibility platform, we are intentional about spotlighting women who are not just part of the conversation, but actively reshaping it. Elma Godwin is one such force.
A media powerhouse, actress, producer, entrepreneur, and founder of EG Studios, Elma has built a career rooted in courage, creativity, and conviction. From hosting major red carpets to creating platforms that groom talent, amplify unheard voices, and challenge tired narratives about Africa, her journey reflects what happens when passion meets preparation.
ELMA GODWIN – An Unfiltered, Laughter Filled Conversation on Visibility, Storytelling & Power
In this unfiltered, laughter filled conversation, Elma speaks candidly about visibility, motherhood, wellness, entrepreneurship, storytelling, and the responsibility that comes with influence. She shares lessons from her journey, her vision for African creatives on the global stage, and why comfort, confidence, and planning are her ultimate power tools.
This is a conversation about owning the mic, rewriting the script, and building empires without losing yourself in the process.
Visibility & Influence
EM: Exquisite Magazine is Africa’s number one visibility platform. How do you personally define visibility, and why is it important for women in media and entrepreneurship today?
Elma: (laughs) Visibility is not just being on the poster; it’s being in the boardroom, holding the mic, cutting the final edit, and collecting the cheque. I define it as women showing up at every single level until the ratio is 50:50, actually, scratch that, in some rooms we deserve 60:40 because we run circles around multitasking! (grins)
It’s important because when little girls see women everywhere in media, they stop asking for permission to dream big. And yes, something huge for women in entertainment is cooking at EG Studios right now—fingers crossed, lips sealed, but it’s coming.
Journey & Passion
EM: You transitioned from TV presenting into acting, producing, and entrepreneurship with EG Studios. What motivated that shift, and what lessons stand out most from your journey so far?
Elma: I’ve been a drama queen since village days, Benin Igbo blood, moonlight tales, masquerades, the full package! (laughs) After earning my MSc at Brunel University through sweat and blood, I found myself hosting red carpets for Spice TV and Soundcity. I looked great, but deep down I wanted to own the carpet, design it even.
So I pressed pause, headed to New York Film Academy, came back home, and birthed EG Studios. The biggest lesson? When you follow the thing that has been chasing you since childhood, the road may bend, but it never feels like you’re lost.
Wellness & Balance
EM: As a mother, actress, and entrepreneur, how do you prioritise wellness and maintain balance?
Elma: Balance? What is that? Can somebody send me the manual? (laughs) I’m still learning. My priority list is simple: my children first, myself second, empire third. But neither kids nor media ever clock out, one wants breast milk at 3 a.m., the other wants a script approved by 9:05 a.m.
My wellness hack? Work extremely hard, then enjoy life extremely large. Live big, laugh loud, and sleep when the ancestors finally drag you.
Empowerment Through Storytelling
EM: How do you see storytelling as a tool for empowerment in Africa?
Elma: Storytelling is the original African WiFi. Our forefathers used it to pass power before colonisers tried to cut the signal. My generation is reconnecting the dots, telling brand new stories and correcting old lies.
At EG Studios, we’re rewriting tired, exploitative stereotypes. Through Grooming Talent Hunt, Elma & Friends Podcast, and our work with Grooming Centre and CREM, we give young talents microphones and stages, market women new dreams, and the continent the unfiltered truth. Our stories are revolutionary—and they are ours to tell.
Entrepreneurship
EM: What challenges did you face building EG Studios, and how did you overcome them?
Elma: Thank you, I receive that compliment with both hands! (laughs) My biggest challenges weren’t because I’m a woman; they were because the vision was new, and people fear new things. Convincing investors, juggling projects, staying consistent, that was the real fight.
I overcame it by manoeuvring like a Lagos danfo driver in traffic, smile on my face, three steps ahead, horn ready. Dream, fail if necessary, and keep trying until you succeed.
Global Expansion
EM: With EG Studios expanding into the U.S., what opportunities and challenges do you foresee?
Elma: We’re already in the kitchen cooking with JTON Productions, Xtreme Comedian, and others. The opportunity is bridging the gap, helping African talents dominate Nollywood while collecting Hollywood cheques.
The challenge is protection. Discovery is not enough; creatives must get paid and protected. We’re building that bridge strong, wide, and toll free.
Social Impact
EM: Why are causes like autism awareness and support for market women important to you?
Elma: Because I’ve held crying mothers whose autistic children are misunderstood, and I’ve seen market women who feed nations but can’t feed their dreams. Autism awareness, sickle cell, mental health, these issues touch my soul.
Through Grooming Centre, SESOR, Feet of Grace, and Patrick Speech and Learning, we sensitise, donate, and create real change. My platform may be pretty, but it has a loud heart.
Women in Media & Film
EM: What does the future hold for women in Africa’s creative industries?
Elma: The future is female and fabulous. Funke Akindele is running an empire, Mo Abudu is taking us global, and Shonda Rhimes showed us the playbook. In ten years, the biggest studios in Africa will have women’s names on the gate.
Platforms like Exquisite accelerate that future by shining the spotlight, telling our stories unapologetically, and connecting us to decision making rooms. (winks)
Lifestyle & Inspiration
EM: What keeps you grounded and inspired?
Elma: Simple life, massive impact. Grooming Talent Hunt just finished Season 7, over 700 talents groomed since 2019. That’s my daily espresso.
Quiet mornings with my kids, color coded schedules that would scare the military, and a team that truly gets me. Well planned days keep me confident, and my team knows this.
Advice for Rising Voices
EM: What advice would you give young African women?
Elma: One: Know your goals and be brutally honest about why you want them. Two: Fall in love with the journey so even bad days feel like plot twists, not endings. Three: Motivate yourself every morning, you are your own hype woman first.
Style, Beauty & Expression
EM: How would you describe your personal style and beauty philosophy?
Elma: Comfort over everything, even couture! Motherhood upgraded my style from “slay at all costs” to “slay, but let me breathe, pee, and feed my baby.” Planning is my real make up. Give me a well planned day and a solid team, and I glow differently.
Fashion, to me, is storytelling. It says I’m powerful, comfortable, and nobody is zipping me into anything I can’t unzip myself in five seconds flat! (laughs)
EM: Final words to us?
Elma: Thank you, Exquisite. Let’s keep making sure Africa’s women are seen, heard, and impossibly comfortable while conquering the world.
