Nothing defines the big league in Nigeria’s competitive entertainment industry as a mouth-watering endorsement deal a celebrity is offered.
To many of them, this is what sets them apart from the entire lot making them live large and live up to that celeb status.There is no doubt that endorsement deals would feature prominently in the daily prayers of Nigeria’s celebrities. But then, the benevolence of the ‘god of endorsements’ has favoured few than others.
Few days ago, the news broke that Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, had hooked an endorsement deal with Etisalat, while Davido announced his own new multimillion naira deal with Pepsi joining the ranks of other celebrities, who already have deals with telecommunications corporations and other blue chip companies.
Here, Saturday Beats profiles some of the great musicians and celebrities who have yet to get that multimillion-naira call.
Asa
With a repertoire of songs that has continued to be favourite among lovers of sublime and highly deep music, it is a surprise that no company has yet to snatch up Asa, whose birth name is Bukola Elemide.
Asa, unlike many of her Nigerian counterparts, has yet to give up the aesthetics of her music in favour of club appeal and the likely commercial value that comes with that. Many believe this has to do with where her music career took off, France, a country in which she is equally well regarded.
With her first album, Asa, released in 2007, Asa has continued to be a music icon, loved in Africa and beyond.
Nse Ikpe Etim
Multiple-award winning actress, Nse, has continued to dazzle among her peers in Nollywood, creating for herself a reputation as a great thespian that cannot be overlooked. But despite this, while the likes of Eniola Badmus, Omoni Oboli, Dakore Egbuson etc have sealed multi-million naira deals with different companies either recently or in the past, 41-year-old Nse has yet to enjoy this kind of recognition. But career wise, nothing in her performance in various movies shows she is going away anytime soon.
Mercy Johnson
Saying this 31-year-old darling of Nollywood has featured in a lot of movies is an understatement. In fact, at a time, fans expressed the fear that she might become “over-used”, an issue many actors and actresses before her faced for being featured in tons of movies within every single year, costing them their appeal among viewers.
Mercy Johnson is still going strong in the industry, which is why it is a surprise that no company has yet to propose an endorsement deal to her.
Tonto Dikeh
With marriage, it seems the once controversial actress, Tonto Dikeh, has slowed down. Many would say that the fact that she never shied away from controversial issues and actions might not have made her the perfect candidate for companies that seek to run away from image problems. But the actress, who has been in the industry for at least 10 years, has a loyal fan base that have her back no matter the number of scandals and controversies that have been associated with her.