IBADAN — Olivia Umeh, popularly known as Big Ollie and Omo Iya Igbo, is building a career in Nigeria’s creative industry from Ibadan, combining fashion, lifestyle, culture and digital storytelling.

Umeh, an award-winning lifestyle and fashion creator and mobile content producer, has developed an online presence around content that explores everyday experiences, businesses, events and personalities in Oyo State and beyond.

Originally from Imo State, Umeh grew up in Agbowo, Ibadan, and studied Zoology at the University of Ibadan. Her Igbo heritage and upbringing in Ibadan have become recurring elements of her personal brand.

She is known as Omo Iya Igbo, a name she says is connected to her late mother and her Igbo heritage, while Big Ollie has become the identity associated with her online personality and content.

Through her platform, Episodes with Olivia, Umeh creates content around fashion, food, lifestyle, events, hospitality, real estate and city experiences.

Her decision to build her career from Ibadan has also become an important part of her work, at a time when Lagos remains a major centre for Nigeria’s entertainment, fashion, advertising and digital media industries.

Umeh’s content highlights places, businesses, events and experiences in Ibadan, offering her audience a perspective shaped by her familiarity with the city.

Her professional activities have included collaborations with consumer brands, appearances at lifestyle and youth events, fashion engagements, event hosting and digital campaigns.

She has also spoken on content creation and digital growth at the TechNexus Conference at the University of Ibadan and participated in discussions on women and personal development at the Fempire Conference. She has also hosted youth-focused lifestyle events, including Esquad Festival.

Beyond social media content, these engagements have positioned Umeh within the wider creative and events ecosystem in Oyo State.

Her content ranges from fashion and lifestyle features to restaurant visits, city guides, event coverage and personal experiences. She said the variety allows her to connect with audiences through both commercial and everyday storytelling.

The identities of Big Ollie and Omo Iya Igbo have also helped shape the personality behind her content, giving her audience different ways to connect with her beyond her official name.

Umeh has described her creative approach as one that brings together her cultural background and her experience of growing up in Ibadan.

“One name speaks to my roots. The other speaks to the city that raised me. Influence isn’t about chasing the biggest commercial hubs; it’s about making your own city the center of the map. We can wear our culture differently, tell its stories differently, and celebrate it differently,” she said.

Her career comes amid the growth of Nigeria’s creator economy, which has created opportunities for digital creators to build audiences around cities, cultures and communities outside Lagos.

For Oyo State, Umeh’s work forms part of a growing creative ecosystem in which local creators use digital platforms to showcase fashion, food, hospitality, entertainment and other aspects of everyday life.

Umeh’s career has also expanded beyond content creation into event hosting, speaking engagements and brand collaborations.

She is currently focused on developing her creative portfolio, strengthening partnerships and expanding the reach of Episodes with Olivia.