23 August 2008
Lagos — Has it been a case of come-easy-go-easy for many Nigerians who made unexpected money at various fora. No sooner their fortune took a turn for the good than their public profile took a dip. Or are we dealing with cases of calculated attempts to sell a dummy to the public? Is it that these ladies and gentlemen do not want to attract too much attention to themselves so that they can be left in peace to enjoy their new found wealth?
For some of them, notably, Ezeugo Egwuagu, the First Ultimate Man in the Nigerian Breweries sponsored Gulder Ultimate Search reality television series, it appears their sun set while it was yet the morning of their career. Today, Ezeugo who won N3 million in 2004 doesn't have a decent car to move around town in. He had chosen to buy a power motor bike with some of the money. Nseobong Okon-Ekong recalls some of the notable 'sudden' millionaires. The emerging picture is that none of them has been able to turn over their prize money. Sadly also, they have not been able to translate the social capital and high perception into pecuniary benefits. For instance, the fifth Gulder Ultimate Man, Mike Nwachukwu has just emerged, but none of his four predecessors have made headlines for their exploits. The same can be said of the Nigerian participants in Big Brother Africa and the Amstel Malta Box Office. Was life not supposed to be a roller-skater of moderated fun, driven investment of their prize monies and a booming career triggered by (plethora of endorsements) in an expanding and vibrant entertainment industry holding up doorways of opportunities. But even some of the companies who sponsored these shows would not consider making these emerging celebrities the face of their brands.
Abimbola Oshodi was not used to all the fanfare that seemed to surround her. But she had the reassurance and comfort of having her Mrs. Omotade Oshodi around: Camera flashlights exploded with the regularity of lightening on a stormy, dark night. The young lady from Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Yaba-Lagos would later learn from her mother that the older woman was also having her baptism of fire with limelight. The mother and daughter were being celebrated for something they least expected, but were proud to identify with.
Through a rigorous selection process, the Oshodis had emerged as Project Icons for Procter & Gamble's, Always sanitary pad. The project was given further shot in the arm with a handsome reward of N50,000 each for eight teenagers who excelled in its 'My First Experience' essay competition.
From the moment Abimbola and mother began to appear in publicity materials like billboards, the electronic and print media, their privacy took a flight and life took on a whole new meaning.
While you couldn't describe the Oshodis as a wealthy family, they were comfortable as both parents are successful professionals with reasonable means and a good apartment in a respectable part of Lagos. You could also not deny the fact that the 'undisclosed' amount of money they were paid for branding the project did more than change their lives; at least, it came in handy "to shore up the family finances through strategic investment in stocks".
The Oshodis may not have bought new cars or any of those things that signify an era of "arrival" to the vast majority of Nigerians. For them, the significant change after they hit the jackpot of becoming product icons for P&G's Always is the public recognition accorded them everywhere. It started from their immediate neighbourhood. Abimbola, for instance, has been forced out of her unassuming, quiet mien. Her friends in school now accredit her with superior intelligence. They think she is now a notch above them. They approach with her issues that perplex the average teenager.
If the Oshodis appear to be remarkably transformed only in their social perception, it is not so for scores of a growing number of Nigerians whose apparent bleak lives were given the kiss of life through an incredible change of fortune, that more often than not, is unexpected and instantaneous.
Previously, the only way in which people living in Nigeria hoped to come into sudden wealth that meets this description was through pools betting and gambling. This past time was considered as a trait that hinted at desperate and roguish tendencies. Conservative elements and moralists held up the values of hard work, as the only true building-blocks for enduring wealth. On the hand, big time gambling in casinos is not an activity that a person of limited means can engage in. Only the unrepentant aristocrats and the solidly rich, whose wealth can not be threatened can afford to burn liquid cash on steamy nights of adventure on the gambling table.
Away from the world of the incurable gambler, newfound legitimate methods of coming into sudden wealth have been created, particularly by manufacturers of goods and services, as a way of rewarding loyalty and entrenching the brand. These types have the unwritten aim of boosting sales of the products. Normally, potential beneficiaries are required to show empathy for the product or service by patronizing over a fixed period of time. Guinness Nigeria Plc, for instance, may get creative with a promo that offers millions of Naira as cash prize, plus other gifts to consumers of its products, who are requested to look under the bottle cork of their favourite drink for the ultimate revelation of their win.
Some companies only make this a first step; so that winners are then decided at a raffle draw, where the only element that counts and sets a winner apart from a loser is Mother Luck. There are other types of unpredictable windfalls that require the potential beneficiary to exert himself-physically or mentally-before getting the prizes on offer. These are now more popular through various game shows on the electronic media, majorly, television. You have, for instance, a show like 'Deal or No Deal', 'Fash Football Game Show', 'Want to be a Millionaire?', Apprentice Africa, 'The Den', 'Big Brother Africa', and the like. By what ever name they are called, the principle is the same, devise an alluring but didactic game that is also fun to play.
There is also an international dimension to these reward tree that is growing across national boundaries. Ghana Lotto is still as popular as ever in Nigeria, even with introduction of 'Baba Ijebu' and the National Sports Lottery. Travellers across international borders are not restricted concerning participation at many Duty-Free-Shop promotions. The good old American Visa Lottery that promises a glorious bouquet of the 'American Dream' rightly belongs in the category of packages that are presented as life-changing instruments to the Nigerian public.
In the 1970s, the victorious Green Eagles were rewarded with houses in FESTAC Town by then Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon. Alhaji Shehu Shagari followed with a similar gesture in the 1980s. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as Head of State changed the name of the Under-17 Team to the World Golden Eaglets and had major streets named after them in their respective local governments. There is no report of any of these footballers whose fortune has taken a dive into the bottom of the murky waters of poverty.
Happily, there are progressive reports of excellent performance from the likes of Christian Chukwu, Segun Odegbami and Henry Nwosu. Perhaps, the only celebrated case of wealth gone awry in this category of footballers who were showered with cash is Etim Esin, whose promising professional career in soccer was stunted following controversies surrounding his conduct.
In recent history, Bayo Okoh, Nigeria's first representative in the Big Brother Africa reality show has not been much in the news since he featured in the show. Bayo, graduate of Economics of the University of Jos loves the good life, which he translates to love for women and parties. His decision to pursue an acting career did not really take off with a bang. Although, he has featured in a few movies, he has not been able to attract a lead role that may distinguish. In the same light, his clothing line, known as Teddy Bear Stitches is not one of the well known fashion houses in a country where making of clothes has become such a huge business that big time fashion shows are organized round the year and models are busy. Bayo's attempt at non-governmental work, culminating in the establishment of Bayo's Big Heart remains largely in the back streets with little report of its activities. Even in Abuja where he now lives, after relocating from his erstwhile Kaduna base, Bayo has hardly found his feet as one of the celebrities who make the city tick.
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