Entertainment
Focus On Nigeria’s G.5 Billionaire Actresses …How They Spend Their Money
Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola
Jalade-Ekeinde, Rita Dominic, Stella Damasus and Stephanie Okereke.
These are the evolving names in the Nigerian movie industry as they make more inroads in fame and fortunes therein.
Almost on daily basis, movie lovers around the country pay glowing tributes to the aforementioned better known as the G.5 in the industry today – i.e. first before the rest!
Millions of Nigerians who have been following their exploits since mother luck shone on them agreed that they remain the current wave makers.
They have all paid their dues. Before attaining their present height and status, each of them sacrificed in all life’s ramifications. In an arena bedeviled by man-know-man and use what-you-have-to-get-what-you-want, it was not a bed of roses for them at the inception.
Genevieve Nnaji’s story has remained a recurring affair. Hers is a chequered history. But one so intriguing and motivational to others who easily lose hope simply because one misfortune or the other befell them.
The early pregnancy that forced her to abandon secondary school, her life on the streets, frustrated and almost rejected, initial frustrations by producers, sexual harassment, name them. But she was determined and focused. Today, everybody bows for her.
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde could easily be described as the luckiest amongst them. She hit the. jackpot from the first day she sauntered into the industry. Imagine someone that merely accompanied a friend to a contest and turning out the winner!
Not only that, suitors came calling immediately with Mathew, a Pilot, winning the bid. Although she has consistently been in and out of labour with four kids to her credit, she has equally been very consistent on movie locations with over 50 appearances to show for it.
Omotola was also the first to win the movie awards (Thelma) with Mortal Inheritance .
Rita Dorninic and Stephanie Okereke joined the G.5 just last year. While Rita was making return bid when it clicked for her, Steph came from nowhere. Somebody just ‘discovered her and thereafter, the bandwagon effect caught up with her.
As for Stella Damasus, she has always been there and infact, could be chosen as the first before the rest. She has been a good actress too with innumerable number of successful jobs to her credit.
She was married to Jaiye Abodrin, a showbiz impresario. However, the viewers who idolize and monitor their day-to-day activities seem to know better on who the best screen queen crown fits for now. It was an open thing and the usually reliable, unbiased and bold attempt give our readers nothing but the best.
Out of the over 2,000 self-confessed ‘committed and ardent’ fans of the home video industry polled, majority tilted their support for the one everybody has continued to adore, sometimes, for reasons they cannot readily explain.
Genevieve Nnaji is it! The ravishing Mbaise, or (is it Umueze, Isiala Ngwa North) Imo State-born actress, appears destined to remain the center of attraction for a long time to come.
Although she has not featured in most of the movies produced in recent times, she has never had a dull moment. Recently she was alleged to play a nude role in a movie that is causing some controversy. Genny is fresh from South Africa where she outclassed others, including the sensational Oluchi Onweagba (MNET Face of Africa) to emerge as the new Face of Lux which increased her bank account by a whopping N75 million.
Back to her consistency, Genevieve remains the most sought after actress. Producers, especially those from the Idumota (markets) extraction, have been upsetting one another to have her on board their movies. “Any movie that has Genevieve sells itself”, confessed Andy, a marketer who said he’s been on the trail for the past one month.
Genevieve has also become the untouchable. Write anything that appears to be negative about her and her fans would descend on you. Thus, they no longer care even if she desecrates in the church!
Another factor that must have given Genevieve the edge over others, is her consistency in everything . She improves with every new script, giving it the natural touch it deserves without pretence. She does not go down in her fees either. Right, now, she earns about N1.2 million and N1.5 million maximum (or no deal) per script. So, Genevieve remains the queen of the screen in all respects. Omotola Jolade Ekeinde came second. Fans believe that she is also very natural in her script interpretation. For the close to one decade she has faced the camera, they also argued that she has been very consistent, maintaining that her contemporaries can only be more visible because they are still single and are yet to taste the stress of labour and motherhood.
“If Omotola had remained single up till date, she would have remained more ravishing and the girl to beat on the tube because she is cute in every other respect,” one of the respondents. All the same, Omotola still possesses the charm that makes a pretty lady. She is the viewers’ choice for the second position. She earns about N800,000 per script now.
Enter, Stella Damasus Aboderin. Some how, not many people really know about her. But that is not on the screen. She remains the dealing of many movie lovers. Stella has dazzled in many home movies and soap operas too and is in fact about the oldest face on the screen amongst the pack.
Endowed with a natural voice and physique that is ever tantalizing, Stella earns more than N500,000 per script and remains one of the sought after actress as she is in a class of her own. She is the third on the queue.
Rita Dominic and Stephanie Okereke come fourth and fifth respectively because fans believed that although they are making waves, they still need more time to see if they wont turn more flashes in the pan.
Both of them stole the show only last year and cannot be compared with those who have been there for an upward of five years and above, and remain the choice of millions. In terms of fees, both of them hand around N500,000 depending.
For someone that wanted just a pastime vocation to ease boredom to hit the millionaire mark and ultimately a billionaire, her life and style is bound to change for the better. That is what has happened to Genevieve Nnaji.
She now exudes confidence. Fortunately, she remains the delight of top rated fashion designers because anything they make, fits Genny, as she is fondly called. Expectedly, Genevieve now steps out looking radiant and complete with the state of the art ‘apparatus’ in everything as she commands a lot of respect in the society.
The Garden City of Rivers State Port Harcourt at the weekend joined other parts of the world to celebrate the World Music Day, 2025, as Alliance Française showcases talents.
The event which is internationally known as Fête de la musique was held at cultural hall of the Alliance Française was a remarkable concert with memorable experience.
The event brought together music lovers, students, Artistes and members of the community For an exciting evening live performances and cultural exchange.
The Tide Entertainment reports that the world Music Day, which was created 1982 in France by the then Minister of culture, Jack Lang, ‘ Fête de la Musique’ is now celebrated in more than 100 countries every 21st June, marking the first day of summer with free concerts and musical showcases in public spaces.
In Port Harcourt, the Alliance Française honoured the tradition by spotlighting four(4) emerging artistes offering a platform to young talents shaping the city’s contemporary scene.
The audience enjoyed an unforgettable moments as they were entertained by the powerful performances from Preach A, who is known for blending fitness culture with spoken words and rhythm.
Also, artiste Emmayany delivering a vibrant fusion of afrobeat and afro pop. A singer, song writer and a performing artiste with a distinct sound.
Others were Amarachy Uko, a sensational singer with passion for soul , R&B, pop music and afrobeat.
While DJ Prospel closed the night with an energetic DJ set that got the entire hall dancing.
Earlier, the Director, Alliance Française, Port Harcourt Mrs Marina Lacal high lighted the mission of the Alliance Française saying that the event was more than a concert.
According to her, the event was put together by the Alliance Française to promote cultural diversity and foster artistic expression by connecting a long standing French tradition with creativity of the local music scene, adding that the event offerers an avenue for dialogue between culture and generations.
She stated that the event is used to promote professional and bring amateur artistes to limelight via the platform of the Alliance Française which is aimed at promoting the French Language through cultural heritage.
She explained that the celebration is also a broader series of Fête de la musique activities organized by the 10 Alliance Française across Nigeria in sync with concerts held in France and around the world simultaneously.
She further noted that the occasion reaffirms the role of Alliance Française as a cultural bridge, one where French heritage meets the pulses of Nigerian youth.
It would be recalled that no fewer than 19 artistes applied to perform at the event in Port Harcourt, but only four got approval for appearance.
The Governor of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Rivers State chapter, Comrade Moses Mabadeje popularly known as Mozy B said that the body has announced plans to implement performance Levy on artistes in the state with effect from 21st June.
This was carried in a statement released to The Tide Entertainment, yesterday by the Deputy Governor of the association, Comrade Abiye Howells.
According to the Governor, the announcement was made by PMAN, the only governing body that regulates the music profession in Nigeria, as authorized by the Government of Nigeria, in line with the Trade Union Act.
He stated that those affected by the Levy include (Non members)bands, groups, Hotels, Bars, lounges, Event Centres, show organizers, promoters and other stakeholders hosting events which feature live music performances within the State.
However, the Levy does not apply to members of the Performing Musicians Employer’s Association of Nigeria. (PMAN).
Comrade Moses Mabadeje, explained that this drive is aimed at financing the association and supporting the welfare and interest of musicians as outlined in Article 8 of the PMAN constitution as amended (2023). Consequently, a PMAN task force has been set up to enforce and swing into action to effect this move.
He further said that event organizers, promoters and owners of event centers are expected to comply with this regulation as the Governor has urged stakeholders to collaborate with the association to ensure the successful implementation of the levy and the peaceful co-existence between PMAN and Stockholders.
Nancy Briggs
Entertainment
“French Up Your Career” PH, 2025 :Consul General Of France Harps On Proficiency In French
The Consul, General of France in Nigeria, Laurent Favier has encouraged French Learners to improve their skills on the language, as there are lots of opportunities up for grabs on the job market with fluency in French Language, saying that there are many other career paths which are often less well known to learners of French.
Participants at the “French Up Your Career” event held in Port Harcourt.
Favier who disclosed this during the just concluded third edition of the seminar tagged “French Up Your Career” organized by Alliance
Française, Port Harcourt explained that learning French doesn’t mean adding a language to your resume. It rather provides learners with new opportunities. Irrespective of their area of interest, be it diplomatic and International relations, international development, translation and Interpretation or journalism.
According to the Consul General, it was important to create awareness for young Nigerians in Port Harcourt who desire to have better understanding of how been fluent in French can create diverse career opportunities for users of the languages in Nigeria and the world at large, emphasizing that proficiency in French could possibly make learner a bridge between Nigeria and fast-developing regions.
“You previously heard this morning about how you can improve your French skills. This afternoon you will discover how being fluent in French can provide a significant edge on the job market and lead to professional careers that you may not have even considered before,”
“This event comes at the right time, as it launches the celebration of the richness and diversity of French-speaking cultures, which will mobilize us for more than a month throughout Nigeria and alongside other French-speaking countries,” Favier added.
He further highlighted that French is spoken by over 300 million people across the world, saying that, it’s one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
“There are many neighbouring African countries to Nigeria ,who have French as one of their primary languages of communication including Cameroon, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So, what does this mean for you as students here in Nigeria?” He asked
“These sectors in which the French Embassy is often mobilized are the business and marketing field for example, as French is often the preferred language in many multinational companies, particularly those in the energy, oil and telecommunications sectors. I’m thinking as well in technology and IT,” he said
He noted that French-speaking countries in Africa are investing heavily in tech, innovation, and infrastructure, revealing that companies in Tech are looking for bilingual professionals to assist with software localization, customer support, and managing projects in French-speaking regions.
“The French embassy is not only mobilized to help learners discover promising sectors. We are also providing our support and expertise in
training teachers and optimizing university programs,” he summed up
Also, the linguistics cooperation attaché, French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange, who also gave a lecture at the seminar, in an interview with Newsmen said that the main purpose of the seminar was to be more informative and supportive to those who want to make a skill out of French Language,saying that as the linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy it is her duty to promote French language through culture.
She cited traditional stereotypes as a major challenge affecting the growth and development of French in Nigeria, as school, teachers at the primary and secondary level in most cases teach French using the traditional way, where students learn French, but could not put words and grammar together as a skill for communicate.
“French is important. I don’t see French as colonization, l see French as a key to embrace globalization, l hope that learners will be inspired and ready to embrace the global village,” Losange said.
She however said that the French Embassy is working to ensure that equipments to facilitate the learning of French is put in place to enable learners improve their skills fast, which in two to three years learners should be able to communicate with French, advising learners to be intentional with learning the language, through social media and other workable devices to advance their skills for certification and better opportunities.
Highlight of the event which had about 250 participants in attendance was the eloquence award ceremony where students were awarded for their eloquence in French language by the Director, Alliance Française Port Harcourt, Mrs.Marina Lacal alongside the Linguistics cooperation attaché of the French Embassy in Nigeria, Magaly Losange.
After two edition of the seminar it was the turn of the Alliance Française, Port Harcourt to host the Third edition.
It would be recalled that the first edition of ” “French Up Your Career” event was organized at the Alliance Française Lagos on October 23, the second one at UNILAG on November 24, 2024 respectfully.
