The 10 richest Yoruba actresses are Bukunmi Oluwasina Grace, Ronke Odusanya, Iyabo Ojo, Mide Funmi Martins, Fathia Balogun, Doris Simeon, Toyin Abraham, Dayo Amusa, Mercy Aigbe and Funke Akindele Bello.
The Yoruba movie industry that started more than two decades ago is one of the most talked-about movie industries in this world. The industry that is a subset of Nollywood has produced tons of wealthy actresses and their net worth shows how rich the Yoruba movie industry is. Though many of these actresses make a lot of money nowadays doing other things aside from acting, a good number of them primarily became rich and famous as Yoruba film actresses. Having grown and shown in the spotlight, some now earn money as brand ambassadors for companies, while others have numerous and successful businesses. Below are the top ten richest Yoruba actresses in Nigeria, with a quick review of their acting careers and their other known sources of income.
The Richest Yoruba Actresses as Determined by Their Net Worth
1. Bukunmi Oluwasina Grace
- Net Worth: $60,000 (estimated) about N25 million
- Day of birth: May 7th
- Active Years: 2015 to date
- Other Main Sources of income: Scriptwriting and Brand Sponsorships
- Best Known For: Ayomi (2015)
Bukunmi Oluwasina Grace is a young and fast-rising wealthy actress who hails from Oke-Imesi, Ekiti State. She is the third born of a family of seven. The Yoruba actress is a graduate of the Department of Theatre Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, and rightly so, she started her career acting quite early and it was during her final year in the university that she made the movie Ayomi featuring Joke Muyiwa, Gabriel Afolayan, Damola Olatunji. Ayomi happened to be her debut movie and till today still stands out as one of her best works.
The actress has since then starred in a good number of Yoruba and English Nollywood movies like Excursion, Modebi Olami, Test, Citation and so much more. While as a movie scriptwriter, she has credit for having written movies like Mine, Oluwere, Eje Ibi, with more to come. With these acting works, she has helped herself to a net worth of about $60,000 to show how good she is in the industry.
Other Sources of Income of Bukunmi Oluwasina Grace
As it is common with actresses in Nollywood, Bukunmi has invested in the industry and also leveraged the good image she has built up as a fan favorite to add to her already fat bank account. She has endorsed a couple of business brands which she is believed to have earned from.
- Scriptwriting
Like many of her counterparts in the industry, Bukunmi also earns money from scriptwriting in Nollywood aside from what she gets paid as an actress. Some of the movies she has written include Itan Temi, A story like Mine, Oluwere, and Beautiful Song. However, with the dearth of financial information about film production in Nollywood, the actresses cut from these productions were not publicized.
- Lady Miami Clothing and Posh Glow Skincare
In 2020, the Obafemi Awolowo University graduate of dramatic arts reportedly signed two endorsement deals in a space of two days. One with Lady Miami Clothing and the other with Posh Glow Skincare which is owned by Skincare expert, Yeye Folasade Omotoyinbo. Though the details of these deals were not and have not been made public, it is safe to believe that the talented actress pocketed a deserving huge amount of money seeing how successful the brands have grown since her signing with them.
2. Ronke Odusanya
- Net Worth: $100,000 (estimated) about N41 million
- Date of Birth: 3 May 1973
- Age: 50 years old
- Active Years: 2000 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Movie Production, Brand Ambassador, and Social Media Influencer
- Best Known For: Folake (2006)
The shapely actress nicknamed Flakky Ididowo is another influential and wealthy Yoruba actress. She had her primary education at St. Benedict Nursery and Primary School, Ogun State, and attended Federal Government Girls College, Akure. She is a graduate of Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Ronke Odunsanya‘s acting career began fully in the year 2000 but she featured in her first Yoruba movie in 2001 in the movie, Baba Ologba. Ronke has featured in a good number of movies such as Jenifa where she played the role, Becky. Other movies she has starred in include, Ayomide, The Stunt, and many more. She interprets all roles quite well even though she plays wifely roles more. She got the nickname Flakky Ididowo from the role she played in Faitha Balogun‘s movie, Folake.
Seeing how talented she is and the good number of works she has starred in, it is easy to see why the talented Yoruba actress has earned as much as $100,000. Aside from having made money from acting, Ronke also has a good number of awards to show off. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Yoruba) at the Best of Nollywood Awards 2017 for her role in the movie, Ailatunse.
Ronke Odusanya Smiles to the Bank From These Other Sources
From brand endorsements for herself to an acting school, the talented Ronke Odusanya pockets a good amount of money with her image as a popular actress and a fan favorite. Some of the brands she has endorsed include Omek Properties and Investment Limited, Kimdivaztouch Organic Skincare, etc.
- Omek Properties and Investment Limited
Omek Properties and Investment Limited is a real estate firm in Nigeria headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. Ronke put pen to paper with the company in October 2020 as a move by the company to use her image to promote its presence in the real estate sector of the Nigerian economy. However, though it is not known how much it cost the company to secure her services, Ronke is perhaps happy with the deal as she has been seen severally promoting the company on social media.
- Kimdivaztouch Organic Skincare
As it is common with many actresses in and outside of Nollywood, Ronke Odusanya has not been left without an endorsement deal from a skincare company. Her’s is with Kimdivaztouch Organic Skincare which according to their Insta bio, is an Ekiti State-based company that makes 100% organic skin products it ships nationwide. The actress who is in every word a beautiful woman regularly promotes the company’s products on her social media pages where her fans regularly engage with her.
- Ronnies School of Performing Arts
Back to where it started, Ronke has equally invested in Nollywood and of course, makes money off her acting school which she aptly named Ronnies School of Performing Arts.
3. Iyabo Ojo
- Net Worth: $307,000 (estimated) about N126 million
- Date of Birth: 21 December 1977
- Age: 46 years old
- Active Years: 1998 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Event Planning and Catering, Spa Business, and Movie Production.
- Best Known For: Silence (2015)
Iyabo Ojo is no doubt one of the richest Yoruba actresses who grew to where she is now with a dint of hard work. The talented actress who is from Abeokuta, Ogun State was born on 21st, December 1977 into a family of 5. She had her elementary education in Lagos and later on studied Estate Management at Lagos State Polytechnic. She subsequently began her acting career in 1998 after joining the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).
In 2002, Iyabo made her debut in a Yoruba movie titled Darijinwon and since then she has acted in about a hundred films such as Satanic, Okanla, Silence, Tori Ife, Ipadabo, etc. Iyabo Ojo has also produced several films which include Bolutife, Bofeboko, Ololufe, Esan. Her movie Silence released in 2015 premiered at Silverbird Cinemas in Lagos and made a good fortune. The film reportedly cost her millions of naira to produce.
Iyabo Ojo’s Numerous Non-Acting Income Sources
Aside from acting and movie production, Iyabo Ojo makes money from all of the real estate investments, brand endorsements, and of course her personal luxury business brand.
- Brand Endorsement Deals
Iyabo Ojo has leveraged her beauty and popularity to draw the attention of many fashion and skincare-focused businesses. The actress in turn promotes the products or services of these businesses on her social media page and they include the likes of Wholesalesnaija, Pretty_You_Cotoure, Mav Herbals, Roladhairs, Rixari Skincare and Spa, Speedy-Weightloss, etc. She is also the brand ambassador of Jtechtrade, an organization that offers cryptocurrency, and financial services.
- Fespris Limited
Iyabo Ojo is the Chief Executive Officer of Fespris Limited. The company was launched by the actress in the year 2017 and has since its inception budded several other groups of companies under it. Some of them include Fespris Spa, Fespris World which sells beauty products like butt and hip enlargement creams, Fespris Limited; a lounge and beauty salon, Fespris Abula Spot; a restaurant with a specialty in local delicacies, and Fespris Decor which is into interior decoration.
Though there are no figures to point out how much these businesses have contributed to her net worth to merit her mention here as one of the richest Yoruba actresses in Nigeria, it is generally believed that the actress banks heavily from her businesses; little wonder she is seen always promoting the brand.
- Real Estate
The actress is reportedly investing and earning in the real estate industry in Nigeria. She is known to have purchased a luxurious mansion in the Lekki area of Lagos. Iyabo is also known to be a brand ambassador of Pragmatic Homes which is a real estate company in Nigeria.
4. Mide Funmi Martins
- Net Worth: $400,000 (estimated) about N164 million
- Date of Birth: 12 April 1979
- Age: 45 years old
- Active Years: 2003 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Brand Endorsements, Modeling, Movie Production, Entrepreneurship
- Best Known For: Omo Oku Orun (2004)
Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Mide Funmi Martins is a popular and wealthy Yoruba actress. She attended Community Grammar School Ibadan for her primary education before she went to Lagos where she had her secondary education. She holds a diploma in International Relations from Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Mide began acting actively shortly after her mother died; she ventured into the acting industry to keep her mother’s memory. From 2003 till now, she has been featured in numerous Yoruba movies to which she has been well paid for and also earned her a place among the richest Yoruba actresses. She’s best known to interpret roles that show jealousy and strife satisfactorily. Mide has acted in movies like Akoba Obirin, Arewa, Ipinle Mi, and lots more. The movie, Omo Oku Orun, brought her prominence in the industry and she won a few awards such as the Yoruba Movie Gist Award for Best Supporting Actress (2020), City People Movie Award for Best Actress of the Year (Yoruba), and City People Best Supporting Actress of the Year (Yoruba).
Different Income Sources that Add to Mide’s $400,000 Net Worth
Though acting is her claim to fame and wealth, Mide has diversified her income sources to include non-acting sources which range from modeling to brand endorsements and sponsorships.
- Brand Endorsement Deals
Back in 2014, Mide Funmi Martins had cause to smile when she signed a brand endorsement deal with a real estate company – Katawa Properties. The deal to which she put pen to paper was at the time reported to be running into millions of naira and she was pretty excited about it.
Aside from the real estate firm, the actress has also endorsed brands like OSEDUDU WORLD which is a skincare company, Fatil Luxury which offers a weight loss supplement, and Philly Boutique Nigeria. From the look of things, it appears to be that the actress doesn’t only endorses these brands but perhaps also owns the businesses.
- Modeling and Clothing Line
As a pretty woman, it is easy to see why Mide Funmi Martins earns from modeling and a clothing line she owns. She owns and runs an online women’s luxury fashion line called Myde Luxury Attires.
- Movie Production
Mide has also shown that she is not only talented in acting but also equally talented in movie production. Her career in Nollywood has seen her produce Yoruba films like Omo oku òrun and Erù elérù. While the latter had stars like Funke Martins, Babatunde Omidina, and Yinka Quadiri in its cast, the former starred notable names like Fausat Balogun, Bimbo Oshin, Idowu Philips, and others. She is believed to have earned handsomely from these production endeavors.
5. Fathia Balogun
- Net Worth: $400,000 (estimated) about N164 million
- Date of Birth: 5 February 1969
- Age: 54 years old
- Active Years: 1978 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Brand Sponsorships, Movie Production, Online Food Business, and Skincare Consultancy.
- Best Known For: Ta lo pa Chief (1989)
Fathia Balogun is a multiple award-winning Yoruba actress who is influential and among the richest Yoruba actresses in the industry. The multi-talented filmmaker originally went by the name Fathia Akorede Adunni Williams before she adopted her husband’s name – Balogun. She has a diploma certificate from Kwara State Polytechnic before she enrolled at the University of Lagos where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Fathia actively began acting professionally in the early 1990s and even though acting wasn’t her initial career plan, she has become well known for her acting prowess. Having starred in about a hundred movies, including Agbelebu mi, Adakeja, Awawu, and Omo Ale among others, Fathia has proved to be a very strong force to reckon with in the Yoruba movie industry.
Some of the prestigious awards she has received include the 2008 Most Outstanding Actress and Best Indigenous film of the year award for the movie, Iranse Aje, 2015 Best Indigenous Language Yoruba Awards for a movie, Iya Alalake, at the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards.
Sources of Income That Add To Her Wealth Other Than Acting
With a professional acting career that has spanned about 34 years, Fathia has done well for herself to boast of a $400,000 net worth which earns her recognition as one of the richest Yoruba actresses. But like many on this list, acting (though the main source) is just one of her numerous income streams as we have come to learn.
- House of Faiteer
Fathia Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of House of Faiteer – a health and beauty outfit that sells body care products, headgears, renders manicure and pedicure services and so much more. As you would expect, the actress regularly promotes this outfit on social media and it is understandable why.
- Fathia Balogun’s Powerhouse Performing Arts School
She also owns and runs a performing arts training school named Powerhouse Performing Arts School that offers training to desirous students on film production, directing and set design, location management, and film music, make-up and costume, scriptwriting, cinematography, set property management, acting, and presentation.
- Brand Endorsement Deals
As it is the norm with wealthy and popular Yoruba actresses, Fathia uses her image as a famed actress to promote several other businesses and their brands. Some companies she has signed with include Adron Homes and Properties Limited, Osedudu Special Skincare, and Suru Group. With Suru Group, which is a limited liability company with investments in real estate, hospitality, and manufacturing, Fathia signed an endorsement deal that is worth about N10 million.
6. Doris Simeon
- Net Worth: $500,000 (estimated) about N205 million
- Date of Birth: 22nd July 1977
- Age: 46 years old
- Active Years: 1996 till date
- Other Sources of Income: TV Presenter, Business, Compere, and Hairdressing
- Best Known For: Oloju Ede (2001)
The light-skinned talented actress also makes the list of richest Yoruba actresses in Nigeria. Doris is well-known as a Yoruba actress although she acts in English movies too. She grew up in Lagos where she had her primary and secondary education and later on attended the PEFTI institute where she studied production management.
Doris Simeon began acting actively in 1996 when she featured in the sitcom formally known as The Ajasco’s Family (now Papa Ajasco and Company). She, however, rose to the limelight with her role in the movie OIoju Ede and she has since featured in several Yoruba movies like Alakada, Ten Million Naira, Abani kedun, Asiri, and so many others.
The actress is a recipient of many notable awards which include Best Indigenous Actress at the 2008 AMAA awards for her role in the movie Onitemi and Best Actress Indigenous at the 2010 Zafaa awards for the movie Asiri. Other awards she has received are 2015 All Youth Tush Award, Award of Excellence by the Okpella Movement in the United States.
As one of the Richest Yoruba Actresses with a $400,000 Net Worth, here are Other Ventures that Contribute to Doris Simeon’s Wealth
Doris Simeon has grown remarkably successful within and outside the walls of Nollywood. Aside from acting, she is an industrious woman who is passionate about her hair business having been trained as a hairdresser by her mum. She also earns money from brand endorsements and as a TV presenter, and compere.
- Hair Business
Sometime in 2018, Doris Simeon opened a hair salon in the United States which she named Dees Braiding. The beauty, cosmetic and personal care outfit has a specialty in braiding hairs and is the go-to place for many people who want to make braids in Maryland, USA. Before opening her salon in the USA, Doris had earlier set up one in Nigeria which she named Davris Beauty Centre located in Ifako, Lagos.
- GlaxoSmithKline (Ribena) Brand Endorsement Deal
Unlike some of the richest Yoruba actresses here, Doris Simeon isn’t one who has signed numerous endorsement deals, at best, she is known to have signed and renewed only one, and that was in 2015. She put pen to paper with Glaxosmithkline to promote one of their products; Ribena, a popular fruit drink in Nigeria targeted at children. Though how much she earned from this deal at the time is not known, but seeing that GlaxoSmithKline is a British multinational pharmaceutical company valued at $28 billion currently and with significant business interest in Nigeria, the actress no doubt earned handsomely for promoting Ribena at the time.
- TV Presenting, Event Compere
Her other sources of income include earnings from TV presentations, event hosting, and the likes. However, how much she makes from these sources is not publicly known.
7. Toyin Abraham
- Net Worth: $500,000 (estimated) about N205 million
- Date of Birth: 5 September 1982
- Age: 41 years old
- Active Years: 2003 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Brand Sponsorships, Film Making, and Herbal Medicine Business.
- Best Known For: Alakada Reloaded (2017)
The stunning Toyin Abraham is among the richest Yoruba actresses in the industry. Toyin is well known for playing comic roles in movies. She was born on the 5th of September in the year 1982 as the youngest of 5 children in their family. Toyin had her primary education in Edo State where she attended Oba Kenzo Nursery and Primary School, Benin. Later on, she was enrolled at St Anne’s School Ibadan for her secondary school education before she proceeded to Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State where she earned a degree in Philosophical Sciences.
Toyin started acting professionally in 2003 when she got featured in the movie Dugbe Dugbe Nbo by ace Yoruba actress Bukky Wright. She has since then starred in numerous movies including Ebimi Ni, Celebrity Marriage, Elevator Baby. She has also produced her own Yoruba movies which include Alajota, Alakada, Alakada Reloaded.
Her rise to stardom has been steady through the years as she has got several awards which include Best Supporting Actress – Ebimi Ni, Best Actress – Alakada Reloaded, Exquisite Lady of the Year (ELOY) 2017, and so many more. Her movie, Alakada still stands out as her most popular work in the industry.
Toyin Abraham Banks Heavily From These Non-acting Endeavours
If Toyin was not an actress, it is possible that she would have been as rich as she is today seeing how dogged she is with the various businesses she is pursuing and some noteworthy endorsement deals she has landed. Some of her non-acting revenue streams include the following;
- TAJ Dresses Boutique
Toyin Abraham is the owner of TAJ Dresses Boutique in Lekki, Lagos. TAJ means Toyin Aimakhu Johnson; she derived Johnson from her husband’s name – Adeniyi Johnson. Toyin started the business in the year 2013 and has consistently grown it to be the go-to place for many ladies who want to look classy and trendy. The boutique stocks ladies’ ball dresses, dinner wears, and other female attires.
- Brand Endorsement Deals
Toyin has equally leveraged her fame and good public image to attract brand endorsement deals to herself. She has a multimillion naira contract with the technology firm Vas2Nets Technologies Limited which she signed in the year 2014. This marked her first endorsement deal. Toyin followed up this achievement by landing an endorsement deal with Globacom Nigeria as she was seen in the company’s adverts with Sola Sobowale, Patience Ozokwor, and others promoting the company’s Glo Oga Sim.
- Herbal Medicine Business
Toyin opened a herbal medicine business named Toyin Herbal sometime in October 2019 which was quite popular with women at the time. One of their flagship products, a Female Fertility Booster which promises to improve women’s sexual wellbeing, improve menstrual cycle, reduce cramps, support and stabilize pregnancy, sold for about N65,000 per pack. However, sometime in January 2020, she made a post on her Instagram disclosing that she would be shutting down the business due to “structural disagreements with her partners.”
- Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi Films
As an actress and movie producer, Toyin banks from the industry that made her famous. She owns Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi Films on YouTube which is an avenue through which she distributes some of her films. On the other hand, one of her films, Fate of Alakada, which reportedly made over N100 million from theatres was acquired by Netflix to now be exclusively distributed on the platform. The film was co-produced by Mimi Bartels and starred the likes of Toyin herself and Broda Shaggi.
- Herbal Tea Business
Toyin Abraham is the CEO of Curvs Slimming Tea by Toyin (@curvslimmingteabytoyin) which is a health and beauty business that sells weight loss and flat tummy tea. Her merchandise sells as far as in Europe, UK, Dubai, and the USA.
8. Dayo Amusa
- Net Worth: $700,000 (estimated) about N287 million
- Date of Birth: 20 July 1983
- Age: 40 years old
- Active Years: 2002 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Business, School, Music, Movie Production
- Best Known For: Ajegbodo (2006)
Dayo Amusa is a beautiful and wealthy actress from Lagos State, and the firstborn child in a family of five. She went to Mayflower School for her primary education, enrolled for her junior secondary education at Mayflower Secondary School Ikenne Remo, Ogun State before she finished off her senior secondary education at Mamak Secondary School Sagamu, Ogun State. She studied Food Science and Technology at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.
Dayo commenced acting fully in 2002 and has acted in several Yoruba movies, including Igbese, Aye mi, and I Go Blow My Mind amongst several others. Dayo is one of the few actresses that act in both Yoruba and English movies and from these, she has earned remarkably well to be recognized as one of the richest Yoruba actresses on this list with a net worth of about $700,000.
She has received several awards like the 2014 Award for the Best Indigenous Actress at the Nollywood Movies Award for her movie, Unforgivable. She was also a recipient of the Nollywood Female Face of the Year at the 2017 Pink Awards.
How Much Does Dayo Amusa Make From Non-acting Sources?
As one of the richest Yoruba actresses on this list, Dayo is also one of those who don’t relent in their spending pattern as she believes she works hard to have whatever she has today. A fan had at a time criticized her on this and she chose the opportunity to reveal what her sources of income are aside from acting. They include brand sponsorship and influencer, business, and movie production.
- DalasPro Cosmetics Store
Dayo Amusa has shown her entrepreneurial side by setting up a beauty and cosmetic business known as DalasPro. The cosmetics store which is located in the Yaba area of Lagos and also has strong online presence stocks luxury eyelashes and other beauty products for high-class ladies. This business is believed to be one out of the numerous businesses she makes money from that have added to her $700,000 net worth.
- Singing
Seeing how delectable she is as an actress, it is very easy to believe that Dayo could equally be talented in singing and yes she is. The actress cum songstress has released a couple of songs like Mororire, Alejo, Omo Daddy, Blow My Mind, Women Arise, Marry Me, Ife Foju, and Mama’s Love. She distributes her songs mainly on platforms where she has monetized her presence and earns reasonably a good amount of money when people download her songs.
- Brand Sponsorship Deals
Actress Dayo Amusa has signed some good endorsement deals with notable companies. Back in 2016, she signed what seemed like her first endorsement deals with Techno Mobile in a deal said to be worth millions of naira. She followed this up in April 2019 with another endorsement deal with BisMid Luxury Cosmetics Company a week after the company had unveiled former BBNaija housemate Alex Asogwa as one of its brand ambassadors.
- Amzadol Productions
Amzadol Productions is the actress’ movie production company through which she has used to produce a good number of movies. Some of the movies she has produced with the company include Unforgivable (Ainidariji) in 2013 and Omoniyun in 2019.
9. Mercy Aigbe
- Net Worth: $1.1 million (estimated) about N287 million
- Date of Birth: 1 January 1978
- Age: 46 years old
- Active Years: 2006 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Brand Endorsement, Boutique, Skincare Business, and Acting School.
- Best Known For: Ara (2006)
Speaking of a fashionista in the Yoruba movie industry, Mercy Aigbe comes top of mind. She is without question among the richest and most influential actresses in the industry. The beautiful actress hails from Edo State and is the second of three children. She holds an Ordinary National Diploma in Financial Studies from The Polytechnic Ibadan and also has a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Lagos.
She started her acting career in 2006 and has featured in over a hundred movies which include Afefe Ife, Ile Oko mi, Iro funfun, Oju Ife, and others. Over the years, Mercy Aigbe has been in the spotlight for her roles in Yoruba movies and how she interprets them well. She is truly a talented actress. Among the numerous awards she has received are City People Entertainment Yoruba Movie Personality of the Year (2015) and the Most Popular Actress Nominee at the NET Honours (2018).
The Actress Turned Entrepreneur Smiles To The Bank with These Businesses
Mercy Aigbe is one actress who has proven that it is important to diversify one’s income source. Though she got famous through acting and the bulk of her net worth came from it, the actress has invested her career earnings into the fashion business, and establishing an acting school which she earns from.
- Mercy Aigbe Gentry School of Drama (MAG School of Drama)
The MAG School of Drama was founded in the year 2016 and like most similar schools, it offers training to desirous acting students in various fields of filmmaking. These fields include script-writing, acting, movie making, and stage management. MAG School of Drama training runs for a period of 4 months and is conducted by experienced and well-trained tutors.
- Brand Endorsement Deals
As a celebrity, Mercy has signed some good endorsement deals with some companies and uses her social media pages to promote their products and services. Of recent, she signed an endorsement deal with Leisure Court, a real estate company with choice properties in Lagos and Abuja. Since signing with the company, the actress has been seen promoting the real estate firm.
Back in 2014, she signed an endorsement deal with Elephant Gold Rice. In June of the following year, she endorsed Prestige Cosmetics (for one year), and Edalaf Brother Limited, an IT solution company secured her services as their brand ambassador in July 2016. In October 2016, she endorsed Shape You which produces Slimming Coffee. She continued her good run of earning endorsement deals with BK Hair in March 2017 and by September 2018, Naija Taxi Services brought her on board as an ambassador.
- Mag Divas Boutique
Back in November 2014, Mercy Aigbe launched Mag Divas Boutique. She has painstakingly grown the brand to become one of the top fashion stores in Lagos State with customers all over the country and beyond. Her doggedness with the business earned her the ″Fashion Entrepreneur of The Year″ award by Links and Glitz World Awards in 2015.
As an offshoot of her boutique business, the talented actress also set up Asoebi Mercy through which she sells high-end asoebi materials for high-class customers. Also, she runs skincare and cosmetic brand which she readily promotes on her social media pages.
10. Funke Akindele Bello
- Net Worth: $4,000,000 (estimated) about N1.6 billion
- Date of Birth: 24 August 1976
- Age: 47 years old
- Active Years: 1998 till date
- Other Sources of Income: Brand Ambassador, Movie Production, Directing, and Business.
- Best Known For: I Need To Know (1998-2002)
A multi-talented actress who is not just among the richest Yoruba actresses but highly influential too. Funke Akindele’s robustly successful acting career which has spanned up to two decades and more stands her out amongst others. She is the second child of three children born in her family. She began acting when she was featured in the TV series, I Need To Know, sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund. She has starred in several Yoruba movies even though she often plays English roles too. She released her first movie titled Jenifa in 2008.
Funke Akindele became a household name after she released Jenifa in 2008, and then Jennifer’s Diary which is still currently running. She has also starred in several high-grossing movies such as Isoken, Chief Daddy, A Trip to Jamaica, and Who’s the Boss. As a producer, she has made movies like Omo Ghetto (the saga), Ayetoro Town, and many more.
Some of the Awards she has received include Best Actress in a Comedy or Movie Role at the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award for her movie Jenifa, Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2020 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award for the movie Moms at War.
Other Income Sources Funke Akindele Banks From
As one of the most talented, successful, biggest, and richest Yoruba actresses in Nigeria, Funke has gone into many other non-acting ventures to have amassed a net worth of $4,000,000 (estimated) aboutN 1.6 billion as of this writing. Some reports even claim she is worth as much as $7.6 million. These include brand endorsements, film production, and business investments.
- Brand Sponsorship Deals
Funke has an endorsement deal with Dettol as its brand ambassador. In 2016, she was signed by IrokoTV too and quickly followed this up by landing another brand sponsorship deal with Keystone Bank in 2018. In November 2019, she put pen to paper with Waw Nigeria to add to her portfolio of brand sponsorship deals. Others include Lagos State Inland Revenue Service, Vitafoam, 1960 Bet, and Western Lotto. All these deals add to her net worth to make her one of the richest Yoruba actresses in contemporary times.
- Film Writing, Directing, and Production
Aside from acting, Funke also earns well from scriptwriting, film production, directing, and costume and production design. She has written films like Egun (2007), Agbefor (2006); produced the likes of Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020) which made over N468 million in Nigerian cinemas, Jennifa’s Diary (2015); directed Your Excellency (2019), Aje metta 1&2 (2008) and equally worked as a costume and production designer in Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020).
- Business Ventures
The entrepreneurial side of Funke Akindele has been seen following her establishment of an acting school named Scene One School of Drama. The school tutors its students in traditional and contemporary dance, drama, music, and others. In addition, she also has Scene One Production which produces entertainment content like TV series, Nollywood movies, TV shows, and music for TV stations and also distributes some of its content via their website www.sceneone.tv and mobile phone application (SceneOneTV) for iOS and Android phones.
Aside from the SceneOneTV mobile application, the actress also has another mobile application; an educational named Jenifa Spells which is an educational app that has family word games. The app was designed by Mr. Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJCSKILLZ, her husband. This goes to show that Jennifer is serious in the pursuit of non-acting related sources of income, little wonder she will be a regular feature in every list of richest Yoruba actresses in Nigeria.
Summary of the Richest Yoruba Actresses in Nigeria
- Funke Akindele Bello $4,000,000 (estimated) about N 1.6 billion
- Mercy Aigbe $1.1 million (estimated) about N400 million
- Dayo Amusa $700,000 (estimated) about N287 million
- Toyin Abraham $500,000 (estimated) about N205 million
- Doris Simeon $500,000 (estimated) about N205 million
- Faithia Balogun $400,000 (estimated) about N164 million
- Mide Funmi Martins $400,000 (estimated) about N164 million
- Iyabo Ojo $307,000 (estimated) about N126 million
- Ronke Odusanya $100,000 (estimated) about N41 million
- Bukunmi Oluwasina Grace $60,000 (estimated) about N25 million
Who Is the Richest Actress in Nigeria
The richest actress in Nigeria is Genevieve Nnaji with an estimated net worth of $12 million. Genevieve Nnaji is a Nigerian actress and movie producer, but she has also ventured into other business opportunities which has contributed greatly to her net worth. Some of her business ventures include:
- St. Genevieve Clothing Line: Genevieve Nnaji launched her clothing line called St. Genevieve in 2008. The line focused on high-end fashion and showcased Nnaji’s personal style. However, the clothing line has since been inactive.
- Genevieve Nnaji Media: Nnaji launched her own media company called Genevieve Nnaji Media in 2014. The company focuses on film production, distribution, and other media-related activities.
- Etisalat: Nnaji was once an ambassador for the Nigerian telecommunications company, Etisalat (now known as 9mobile). She signed the multi-million Naira endorsement deal in 2010.
- Amstel Malta: In 2015, Nnaji became the brand ambassador for Amstel Malta, a Nigerian non-alcoholic malt drink. She signed a deal that made her the face of the brand’s “Be The Best You” campaign.
- Polo Avenue: Nnaji has collaborated with the luxury fashion retailer, Polo Avenue, to curate a collection of high-end fashion items. The collection was launched in 2019 and includes handbags, shoes, and accessories.
These are just a few examples of Genevieve Nnaji’s business ventures. She has also been involved in philanthropic activities and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.