Iyabo Ojo has really flipped the script on what it means to be a Nollywood star. Instead of just cashing checks from movies and endorsements, she built Fespris Limited into this whole ecosystem that covers hospitality with Gossip Kitchen & Bar, fashion and beauty lines, event management, film production, and even real estate. By 2025 her net worth was around $12 million, and a lot of that came from spreading her brand across different industries so her fans can eat at her restaurant, wear her designs, and still watch her films.
What’s clever is how the businesses feed each other. Her production company still makes big hits like Labake Olododo, which pulled over 200 million naira at the box office, and her 2026 film The Return of Arinzo has Funke Akindele on board. Those movies keep her name trending, and that buzz drives customers to the Fespris ventures. She’s been open about the tough parts too, like high taxes, slow periods, and even a fire that damaged one of her properties, but she keeps expanding by not putting all her eggs in one basket.
It’s part of a bigger shift in Nollywood where actors are becoming full lifestyle brands and venture players. Do you think more Nigerian actors will follow this Fespris model, or is Iyabo Ojo’s approach kind of one of a kind?
