In time past, music and acting were seen more as
passion rather than a profession. However today, it has gone beyond
passion and has become not just a vocation but also a money spinning
machine. The entertainment industry has put food on the tables of these
entertainers as well as opens up other areas of earning to them. Despite
the unending that debates D’banj earns more than Tuface and PSquare,
research details of Nigeria’s top earners
P Square
The singing
and dancing duo, Peter and Paul Okoye, are unarguably the richest in
the entertainment industry. They won the KORA award for Best Africa
Artiste 2010 and the award came with $1m (N156m). Shortly after that
they landed an endorsement deal with Globacom telecommunications worth
about N240m for four years. As if that wasn’t enough, they had one of
their greatest international gigs and an American tour of seven cities,
which earned them a whopping $1m (N156m).
The duo built two
houses within six months valued at N300m in the same neighbourhood and
named it Squareville. They in addition own a hotel and two multi-million
naira factories in Jos among other investments. The bulk of their
earnings come from concerts and endorsements. The duo has sold above 14
million copies of their CDs since 2005.
Peter and Paul Okoye, who
together form one of the biggest pop bands in Africa, recently also,
confirmed that they have acquired a home in the city of San Francisco,
Northern California.
D’banj:
Popularly known as the
‘Kokomaster’ or Mr. Endowed, Dbanj is one artiste that has got the
penchant for making money. He certainly has very strong passion for
business because Apart from music, Mr. Endowed has other businesses,
which include the Koko Mansion, a TV reality show; Koko Lounge, an
upscale hangout in Lagos and UK; Koko Foundation, a charitable
organization and the recently-launched Koko Mobile, under his label
Koko.
The bulk of his money comes from endorsements – his
endorsement deal with Globacom telecommunications cost N70m. He has a
multimillion naira endorsement with an energy drink, Power Fist; a deal
with the makers of Virgin Colour soft drink; and another multi-million
naira deal with a popular jeweller . He has a deal running into millions
with Chris Aire, as the face of his watches and another one with UAC
Foods. He collects between N5m and N7m as performance fees for local
gigs; $80,000 to $150,000 for African shows; £40,000 to £60,000 for UK
shows; and $50,000 to $60,000 for American shows.
Like Don Jazzy,
D’banj also bagged a recording deal with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music;
this will not only boost his career, but also churn in more cash. D’Banj
once said, “I work hard so that money, awards, endorsements, bookings
and kokolets chase me.” He is presently the owner of (DKM) records,
where Davido is signed.
Tuface
Innocent Idibia, popularly
known as Tuface, who was once a member of the band, Plantashun Boyz, is
believed to be one of the richest entertainers in Nigeria. He has two
platinum records in his kitty and it is been speculated that he is worth
over N1 billion.
This is by no means a surprise as he has had
endorsement deals with brands like Guinness, from which he earned N20m
and also Airtel, which earned him N22m in 2012. He was also said to have
earned N30m from the producers of Phat Girls movie, and charges between
N4m and N5m per show. The artiste has invested heavily in real estate
and stocks, where he earns big bucks. He once said he was set to recover
all the wealth taken from Africa.
Don Jazzy:
Michael
Enebeli, also known as Don Jazzy, co-founder of Mo’Hits (now owner of
Marvin Records) is reputed to be one of the best and most sought after
producers in the showbiz world.
At age five, Don Jazzy already
had eyes for the microphone as he was always in the studio. He was a
member of Good Morning Kids, a group created by his father. Don Jazzy is
also known for his business dexterity.
Genevieve:
She started
her acting career as a child actress in the then-popular television
soap opera “Ripples” at the age of 8. She was also featured in several
commercials, some of which included Pronto beverage and Omo detergent.
In 1998, at the age of 19, she made her debut in the growing Nigerian
film industry with the movie “Most Wanted.” As an upcoming actress,
trying to carve a niche for herself, she went through various minor
roles before her big break.
In 2002, she starred in the movie
“Sharon Stone”, and her fame shot beyond the shores of Nigeria to the
rest of Africa and several European countries. One can say that through
the buzz, Genevieve reinvented the Nigerian film Industry, introducing
Nollywood to the rest of the world.
But with fame comes wealth,
she has accumulated lots of money throughout her career. At the moment,
she earns no less than 1.4 million naira per movie. Her endorsement with
Lux and many other multinational companies makes her arguably, the
richest actress in Nigeria.
In recognition of her immense
contribution to the Nigerian film industry, Genevieve has been presented
with numerous awards, some of which have been in Dublin, London, and
the United States.
BasketMouth:
He is arguably one of the
brightest entertainers that has come out of the comedy industry
following his multi million naira deal with Globacom which has put him
ahead of his contemporaries, Basketmouth has reached the peak of his
career and has subsequently been an anchor on MTV where he features
celebrities on his show.
These days to have Basketmouth anchor
your event and perform for about 30-45 minutes, you will have to pay at
least a million naira and he anchors at least two events per week. He is
definitely the biggest earner in the comedy industry.
Omotola Jalade: Ekeinde
Popularly known as Omo sexy, this actress is worth about 60 million naira and she has certainly paid her dues in the industry.
Omotola,
who now charges N5m per movie has turned down scripts worth N3m and the
recent one, a N2.5m role which Ireti Doyle took over. “Omotola got a
whooping N5m for her role in the movie, ‘Amina’ whilst she earned N4.5m
for her role in ‘Ties that Bind’ after a series of negotiations. She has
also built a formidable music career that takes most of time, apart
from the new reality TV show she just debuted.
Ini Edo:
Ini
Edo began her film career in 2000, and has featured in more than 50
movies since. She has also gotten an endorsement with Glo as an
ambassador which churned in millions of naira. She has also received
various endorsements with reputable companies, among which is a deal
with Noble Hair worth N40million. She is currently a producer and
director.
Banky W:
Also known as Mr. Capable, Banky W has
proved to Nigerians that he is capable of being among the richest
entertainers in the industry. He makes the bulk of his wealth from gigs
and is said to charge between 2.5 million naira ($15,800) and 3 million
naira ($19,000) per show, and performs three to four times each week.
He
is a brand ambassador for Estisalat, one of Nigeria’s
telecommunications giants, where he featured in their popular
commercial, 0809ja for life. He also featured in Coca Cola-Nigeria’s
World Cup theme song and Microsoft’s Anti-cyber Crime Initiative. Banky W
is an entrepreneur and has invested heavily in businesses that are
fetching him good money. As a philanthropist, he founded the Mr. Capable
Foundation, where he provides tuition fees for indi
WizKid:
WizKid
another young talent making wave in Nigeria and the world . He is one
of the fastest rising Nigerian musicians around, at 23 this versatile
act is believed to possess the qualities to take over the music scene
especially with his recent collaboration, which earned him great
collaborations with top world entertainers such as Akon, Young Jeezy,
and Kardinal Official.
He signed a multi-million naira endorsement deal with Pepsi. Wizkid‘s new endorsement deal worth about $350,000 US dollars.
Wiz
Kid is believed to have signed an undisclosed multi-million dollar deal
with Akon’s Convict music label and the deal has set the young artist
as the 4th richest artist in Nigeria at the moment. He also earns from
weekly shows. Though the details of his earnings are not explicit, he is
sure a top earner.