“In Nollywood, there are few leading women. Many of them strut the stage of stardom, power and influence with attendant noise while some of them go about wielding their power, influence and making and spending their money with any attention. To some, being on the cover of every paper and magazine is the true testament of their status while for others, being behind it is the true test of power.
Either way, it will be foolhardy to dismiss Nollywood in the schemes of power, influence and money. Truly, lots of poverty masquerade the industry like colossus with many barely surviving, yet so much wealth still exist. Amidst the fakery, façade, and those merely putting up appearance of wealth, true moneybags (comparatively) of a sort exist. Like the aphorism goes, ‘existence of fake, is proof that real exists.’
Who are the truly powerful women in Nollywood? Who are the few controlling true money and who are those that influence things, issues, style, trend, business and market in the industry? Our list will shock you. The criteria is based on the kind of money being generated in the industry, from investment, endorsement, volume of work (directly owned), popularity, brand value, and influence among the powers-that-be in politics, business and industry. The list is in no particular order
Uche Jombo
With over 16 movies, no actress in Nigeria can boast of heavy movie catalogue like Uche Jombo. There is also no other actress that commands the kind of reverence Uche does among fellow actresses and actors, most especially the young ones. The general saying is, Uche now has power to make star of a starlet, and only a handful of people will fall into that category in Nollywood. Despite being active production-wise, Uche’s face still adorns numerous posters as lead actress. Aside being the highest grossing actress-producer among her colleagues, Uche has two known properties, one in Lagos, the other in Abia, her home town (where she is a chief). Her influence in and out of the industry is definitely not in doubt.
Genevieve Nnaji
She might not have done any major movie of late but there is no wishing Genevieve’s influence away in Nollywood. Time and over again, except for ‘Doctor Bello’, she has delivered top box-office returns for every movie she featured in. Her less appearance in movies has been atoned for with appearances on website and blogosphere. She is one of the two most popular figures in Nollywood and has evolved into an influential and stylish brand with cult following. Aside delivering back to back box office returns (Ije, Weekend Getaway (despite negative reviews), Tango With Me, Mirror Boy, and most recently, Half of a Yellow Sun), Genny as she’s popularly called is the most ‘endorsed’ celebrity by corporate Nigeria. She has been reported to rake in millions most bank MDs will only dream about and has extensive investment in real estate. Aside all these, Genny has been reported to be the most stylish of the Nollywood top three; true or false, we can’t say but what is not in doubt is her popularity, influence and closeness to people in the corridors of power. . .” Read the full story on iCampusng.com
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
