AFRICA | 29-year-old Nigerian actress and model, Jemima Osunde, has earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Suffolk in the United Kingdom.
For Jemima, this milestone represents more than another academic title, it is a testament to resilience, balance, and the pursuit of excellence across two demanding careers.
Jemima's Story and How She Did It
Jemima’s higher academic journey began at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (Idi-Araba), where she studied Physiotherapy and graduated in 2019.
Interestingly, she began acting during her first year in medical school. Reflecting on those early days, Jemima admitted that acting was meant to be temporary.
“I thought acting was just going to be a while-in-university thing — to pass time and earn some extra change from what daddy was giving me. But here we are,” she shared.
Despite her rising fame, Jemima never let go of her dream of building a career in healthcare. “I’ve always wanted to do something medically inclined,” she explained.
“So even when acting started going well, I didn’t see it as leaving medicine for film. I wanted to find a way to combine both,” Jemima expressed.
However, balancing lectures and film sets was no easy feat. Jemima credited her success to her parents and her roommate, Folakemi, who often helped her keep up with classwork whenever she missed lectures for filming.
“My dad’s only concern was, if you want to do both, prove that one won’t suffer, and he meant school,” Jemima recalled. “
”So it was really hard, but I had a lot of help. Folakemi was my go-to person — she would write notes and I’d photocopy them to read on set. Nobody sent me, so I had to make it work,” she added.
Her dedication paid off. Jemima not only graduated with her Bachelor’s degree but also worked full-time at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), all while maintaining an active acting career.
Motivated by her deep concern for Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system, Jemima sought to expand her knowledge in public health. She applied to the University of Suffolk, United Kingdom, where she completed her Master’s degree in Public Health.
Her academic pursuit was fueled by a larger vision: to contribute meaningfully to healthcare reform in Nigeria.
“I’m very invested in healthcare, especially in Nigeria. We almost have no healthcare system here, and I have faith that there’s a lot that can still be done to improve it,” she said.
Sharing her excitement on Instagram, Jemima celebrated her newest milestone with heartfelt gratitude and humor.
“Why am I chasing academic qualifications and a career in healthcare even with my entertainment career? My simple answer is — why not? I’ve always lived the best of both worlds,” she wrote.
She expressed her pride in how she was able to balance both careers and still be successful at both.
“I combined College of Medicine with a budding acting career, worked full-time at LUTH while filming, and now I’ve completed my Master’s in Public Health while still being in your faces. Why have one when I can have two? I want it all.”
Jemima humorously added that part of her motivation was to tell her future children, “Mummy has two heads.”
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