Genevieve Nnaji Biography, Net Worth And More (2024)
This article is about the biography and net worth of Genevieve Nnaji MFR, a supremely talented Nigerian actress, producer, and director. One of Nollywood’s richest and most powerful entertainers and an accomplished businesswoman.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Genevieve Nnaji was born on May 3, 1979 in Mbaise, Imo State, in the South Eastern geopolitical zone of Nigeria but was raised in Lagos State, the country’s commercial capital by her engineer father and school teacher mother. She is the fourth out of eight children in the family.
Growing up, Genevieve Nnaji attended the Methodist Girls College in Yaba, Lagos, before proceeding to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to study Creative Arts. It was during her university days that she began actively auditioning for acting jobs in the Nigerian film industry, although her acting career began at age 8, when as a child actor, she featured in the then popular television soap opera, Ripples.
GENEVIEVE NNAJI CAREER
In 1998, she announced her presence in the Nigerian film industry with her role in the movie Most Wanted, which was followed up by other subsequent movies such as The Last Party, Mark of the Beast, and Ijele. In 2010, she starred in the award winning movie Ije: The Journey.
In 2004, Genevieve signed a recording contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, and released her debut album One Logologo Line which is a mixture of R&B, Hip-Hop, and Urban music. In the same year, she had the most votes after contesting with other celebrities for the face of Lux. The following year, in 2005, Genevieve Nnaji won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the first actor to win the award.
Genevieve Nnaji is currently one of the best paid actresses in the Nigerian film industry, and as a result of her contributions to the development of Nollywood, she became the first ever actress to be awarded Best Actress at the 2001 City Peoples Awards, the award ceremony that previously had only recognized politicians and business conglomerates. She was also the first actress to be awarded as Best Actress by the National Film And Video Censors Board in 2003. In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey.
Genevieve Nnaji moved into film production in November 2015, producing her first movie titled Road to Yesterday, later winning Best Movie Overall (West Africa) at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. In January 2018, it was widely reported that Genevieve would be replacing Funke Akindele as a member of the Dora Milaje in Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. This was later debunked as an internet prank and the actress did not appear in the movie.
Genevieve later took her filming skills to a whole new level on September 7, 2018, when she made her directorial debut with the movie, Lionheart. Thr movie was acquired by online streaming service Netflix, making it the first ever Netflix original film from Nigeria. Lionheart had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, alongside Farming, the Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s autobiographical directorial debut where she starred in alongside Kate Beckinsale, Damson Idris, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Genevieve Nnaji is also a women’s activist, advocating for Nigerian girls to be able to have a say in who they choose to marry. She is against early marriages for little girls in the country. She also strongly opposes the abuse of women in society. Genevieve says she is a strong advocate for social justice. Genevieve Nnaji is also a strong feminist, stating that her type of feminism is the woman who has the right to make her own choices and do whatever she feels like.
On the modelling front, Genevieve has featured in several commercials, including for Pronto (beverage) and Omo detergent. In 2004, she became the “Face of Lux” in Nigeria in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal, and in 2008, she launched her clothing line St. Genevieve, which donates its proceeds to charity. In May 2010, she was appointed to be the official “Face of MUD” in Nigeria. She has received many awards and nominations both internationally and locally for her outstanding role in making sure that the Nigerian Movie Industry is developed.
GENEVIEVE NNAJI NET WORTH
Currently in this 2024, Genevieve Nnaji, being one of the richest and most influential Nollywood personalities in Nigeria is worth an estimated ₦1 billion. Her source of wealth coming from her various movies, endorsement deals and her businesses.
GENEVIEVE NNAJI HOUSE AND CARS
Genevieve Nnaji reportedly has a mansion in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, which she bought in 2013 at the cost of ₦220 million, and it is said to be her residence. She also reportedly owns a mansion in Lekki, which she bought for her family members for them to reside in after relocating them from Egbeda, Lagos. She is said to also be into real estate and owns a property in Abuja that is worth ₦30 million which, according to various sources, is for rent. Genevieve owns a mansion in Ghana as well, and the property is estimated to cost about $4 million. As for her cars, she owns some classy vehicles in her fleet, which include Range Rover Evogue and a Mercedes Benz G Wagon among others.
