As the entertainment industry in Nigeria keeps evolving, more than a few of her artistes have risen from grass to grace, thanks to concerts, modelling contracts, voice-overs, endorsements and other avenues. In the light of affluence and fame, PATIENCE IVIE OBHAFUOSO looks at Nigeria’s 10 richest male entertainers.
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D’banj is no doubt one of the richest artistes within the Nigerian entertainment circle. Besides music, he has also tried his hands in other businesses, including reality show Koko Mansion, Koko Lounge in Lagos and the UK, Koko Foundation and Koko Mobile. He has netted a fortune from endorsements, some of which are; the N30m deal with virgin colours, that of N25m with virgin airline, N20m with nutricima, the deal with Globacom,the N100m deal with UAC, his pre-election partnership with President Jonathan which many believe to be the clincher. Currently, he is working on a project, Koko Island.The Koko master charges about N2.6m per show.
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Michael ‘Don Jazzy’ Enebeli. He is popular for three things: for being one of the most sought after producers in the country, as the founder of Mo’ Hits, and as the one said to be “the one behind D’banj’s fame”. Don Jazzy was a member of Good Morning Kids, a group that was created by his father.
Also, he scored big with his recent recording deal with American rapper, Kanye West. His wealth cannot really be measured, as he has succeeded in erecting an empire that has a variation of interests.
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Innocent Idibia. Popularly known as “2face”, he is ranked one of the richest entertainers in Nigeria. Standing on the claim that he will “recover all the wealth taken from Africa”, the dude has two platinum records, endorsement deals with brands like Guinness and Airtel (both of which earned him N42 million) to his credit . It was also reported that the producers of ‘Phat Girlz’ paid him a spinning N30m. In contrast to public belief that the artiste is extravagant, he has actually invested heavily in real estate and stocks. To hear him croon . . . all you have to do is dole out N2.7m.
DJ Jimmy Jatt a true disc jockey, he braved many odds to be where he is today. From very humble beginnings, he presently charges N1m per show.
Bright ‘Basketmouth’ Okpocha is one of Nigeria and Africa’s brightest comedians. He is an ambassador for Globacom, Malta Guinness and a variation of others, though he earns the bulk of his money from stand-up comedy shows across the world.
Peter and Paul Okoye. The wealth of the dynamic duo, popularly known as “P-Square”, is not in question. They have weaved their way to the top through hard work that has seen them reap dividends in form of endorsements,concerts and the likes all over Africa, including the N24m deal with Globacom. P-Square won the KORA award for Best Africa Artiste in 2010 and earned N150m. They recently completed a house valued at N300m in Lagos, a hotel, as well as two multi-million naira factories in Jos. To hear them sing some of their love songs, do some of that lovely choreographic work or light up the stage with their energetic dancing, you need to fork out about N2m.?