“The English I speak is self-taught” – Ibrahim Chatta reveals why he dropped out of secondary school

Ibrahim Chatta, a Nollywood actor and filmmaker, has admitted that he dropped out of high school to pursue a career in acting.

Chatta, who began acting in 1985, said this in a recent interview with BBC Yoruba.


The film actor admitted that as a young man, he frequently skipped classes to perform in theaters with his colleagues.

Chatta revealed that his dedication to theater performing forced him to abandon his high school education.

The actor, who is in his fifties, stated that he continues to self-educate himself through online courses and programmes. Ibrahim Chatta explained:

“I started acting very early in my life. I knew I was going to go into acting as a kid. Acting took a lot from me. It did not allow me to go to school.

”My parents would think I was in school those days but I would have followed my colleagues for what we call travel theatre. It has now transitioned into filmmaking. That was how some of our bosses started their acting career from the stage into cinema movies.

“Although, I am doing some courses in adult education that are related to acting, I did not finish my secondary school education. The English language is like every other language. It can be taught and can be heard. The English language I speak is self-taught and I love reading so much. When I was little and I bought puff-puff, I used to read the paper wrap. I read about the English Language from the books.”

Chatta rose to prominence following his performance in the film ‘Aiyekooto’ (2012). He has also acted in films such as ‘Atini O’go’ (2006), ‘Mafi Wonmi’ (2008), ‘Olo’ (2008), ‘Mafi Sere’ (2009), ‘Orere Laye’ (2009), and ‘Ebere Adigun’ (2010).

Others include ‘Ifa Iwa’ (2013), ‘October 1’ (2014), ‘Olokiki Oru: The Midnight Sensation’ (2019), and ‘Omoyagba (2020)’.