Untold story of how Genevieve Nnaji landed Etisalat’s N100m deal

Genevieve Nnaji

It is no longer news that Nollywood poster girl and Nigeria’s screen idol, Genevieve Nnaji was on Wednesday officially announced as the newest ambassador for Etisalat Nigeria. However, what many are oblivious of was how the deal which reliable sources said was worth over N100 million, was struck.

In a surprise deal made public late afternoon via the social media, the telecoms company announced the coming on board of the superstar actress as one of its brand ambassadors.

“We officially welcome @GenevieveNnaji1 as an Etisalat Ambassador for the #Easyflex. We do quality not quantity,” the message was posted both on Etisalat Twitter and Instagram pages.

While the officials of the telecoms company P.M.NEWS spoke to declined to disclose how much the actress was paid as it brand ambassador, other sources said what Genevieve got was huge and the biggest figure ever paid any ambassador by the company.

And the actress has been so excited about the deal as she shared on her Instagram page a picture of herself and British-Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae Kazim, also an Etisalat brand ambassador at one of the company’s events with the caption: “@GenevieveNnaji1: #etisalat #goinggreen”.

The 34-year old screen star was said to have begun talks with the company weeks ago and has concluded the deal which will see her act as an ambassador for one of their brands Etisalat EasyFlex – a product which targets only high value customers.

She is expected to feature in the brand’s campaigns and activation alongside Kae Kazim.

The pair, we learnt, have already shot some television commercials, TVCs, for the brand and it will soon be released. The telecoms giant first dropped a teaser via its Twitterhandle @etisalat_9ja early Wednesday evening with “We have just launched a new product! Can you Guess? Can you guess????? #TeamEtisalat”. An hour later, it unveiled Genevieve. “This is the wisest move you have made,” one excited fan tweeted to congratulate the actress.

She will join the likes of music stars Ice Prince, Olamide, Sasha and Seyi Shay who have pitched their tents with the Etisalat brand.

Genevieve has had successful brand deals in the past. The pretty actress was one time ‘Face of Lux’ and the face of MUD Cosmetics. Her biggest brand deal prior to the latest one was in 2012 when she emerged the brand ambassador of Range Rover SUV brands in Nigeria.

In that bumper deal, the single mother of one got about $400,000 a year deal. She was also given a special edition of the SUV by Cosmas Maduka, the President of Coscharis Group during her unveiling in Lagos then.