Regina Askia talks separation, Nigeria, Chidi Mokeme, and more in new interview

Nollywood actress Regina Askia-Williams was a screen goddess for a while during the late 90s to early 2000s before she left the industry over two decades ago. Now, she lives in America as a nurse practitioner working in the medical field, but is talking with This Day, about her lowest points while living in America, as well as why she left Nigeria, what her life looks like now, and how she feels about the current state of Nigeria. Here's what Regina Askia said.

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Speaking about why she relocated to the United States despite the fame and fortune she enjoyed here in Nigeria, Regina Askia said:

REGINA ASKIA: The fame and fortune was great for me at that age and time. As life evolves you have to make choices to guarantee a solid future. So, for a young girl coming up, fame and fortune was good. For the present as a mother of three amazing kids and a partner, being a Nurse Practitioner with my own medical practice is the best.

Speaking about what she thinks of Nollywood today and her favorite role she played, she said:

REGINA ASKIA: I like the fact that our authenticity holds true; we are telling our stories without “apeing” the foreign, with no apologies, as in this is who we are. [For my roles], I liked MOST WANTED, when I was doing it. It’s funny to see it today feeling “baaaddd” with our bibi guns. But back then?! Ha! We had finished work o! It’s fantastic to see how Nollywood has evolved. Did you see the movie where Chidi Mokeme was Scar?! Well played! Well done!

Speaking about what a typical day for her looks like now, she said:

REGINA ASKIA: Buuuusssy!!! From the hospital unit, to my clinic, to the home, then school, finding time to attend social events, etc. Out here time is money. Every hour must be accounted for by the dollar or by social capital.

Speaking about how she feels about the current situation of Nigeria, Regina Askia said:

REGINA ASKIA: A hopeless tail spin, an intractable free fall. I feel that hopeless. I used to hold an internet program “Office of the Citizen” where we discussed Nigerian politics, society and civic responsibility. We would build a blueprint to success, a plan we would want to see unfold in Nigeria. Then then travesty (my opinion) of an election happened. Since then, I have been mute. Wetin I wan talk again? I taya for Nigeria matter.

Speaking about what she would say are her low and high moments in life, she said:

REGINA ASKIA: Lowest moment was a family situation where I separated from my husband, had to live in a DV shelter as an undocumented immigrant. It was a comfortable unit all to my kids and me but it wasn’t home. To have come from that, restart my life as it were, to become the owner of a thriving medical practice (primary care and medical aesthetics) is possible only in America and only by God’s grace. That’s definitely a high point.

What do you think about this story and all the things Regina Askia said? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment either below or on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.

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