That the Nigerian entertainment industry is growing in leaps and bounds is no more in doubt.
The industry is now seen as a major money spinner and no longer stereotyped as an industry for loafers and riff-raffs that can’t get jobs in the corporate world.
But one industry that still faces so many challenges in Nigeria’s entertainment circles is the modelling industry. There is a major consensus among the modelling industry stakeholders that Nigeria is yet to get it right in this field.
Indeed, fashion activities in Nigeria may be slow in growth, but the Nigerian designers with creative minds are gradually adding pace to the growth of the industry, but how has the modelling industry fared so far?
Models in Nigeria are yet to establish themselves in the fashion industry. Little wonder many of the more established models in Nigeria move to South-Africa immediately they make a name for themselves here. This is because of the shabby and disrespectful way models are generally treated in Nigeria.
A perfect example is the St. Eve West African Fashion Show, an event its organisers say is a glamorous platform for Fashion lovers to showcase their design.
But what is glamorous about an event when the models used for the show are not paid? A group of models who worked with the St. Eve West African Fashion Show have reached out to entertainnaija.com, complaining that they have not been paid ever since they participated in the event early this year.
Models for St Eve West African Fashion Show
One of the models who spoke to Naij.com but chose to be anonymous gave a vivid picture of what they passed through in the hands of the organisers of the event.
Male models for St Eve West African Fashion Show
‘’Models were auditioned for over three months after which the selected ones started rehearsals every Friday in a very far location, with the believe that they will be paid after all. After all the stress and inhuman treatment we were subjected to, some of us were dropped two days to the main event without any reason or consolation’’, he said.
A female model said: ‘’We were asked to come for fittings only to be used to film a short advert to promote the show, no money was paid, instead we were blackmailed to visit sponsors of the show (Italian Embassy and Mercedes Benz ) or be dropped for the show.
Another female model alleged that, ‘’We were asked to come for a spa to prepare them for the show only to be driven to different media houses to promote the show, and to make matters worse, we were given handbills promoting the show to go round the streets to share them, else we will dropped from the job.”
A female model who was visibly angry when she shared her own story said: ‘’We were asked to sell the tickets for the show and get commission on tickets sold, and on the day of the event, we were forced to arrange the hall for the show as the organisers didn’t engage the services of an event planner.’’
She continued: ‘’After the event, pay was delayed and after some weeks, we were called to come for our pay, only to get to their office and we were given five thousand naira (N5,000), while some others didn’t get any money at all. Those who sold tickets were not given the agreed commission promised.’’
Male and female models of St Eve West African say they will go any length to collect their money from the organisers
When entertainnaija.com called one of the numbers displayed on the website of the show, a certain Nneka, who introduced herself as the Business Development Manager of St Eve West African Show spoke to us.
Confronted with the weighty allegations against them by the models, Nneka denied that her company was involved in any wrongdoing; instead she accused the models of stealing some foreign currencies belonging to the organisers of the event at the hotel where they were lodged.
She however said they were treated right throughout their working relationship with the company, adding that compared to other organisers of such events, they did well.
‘’We did our best. We took them to a spa, treated them right and gave them our best. If there are models complaining, then there are few of them because majority of them were well taken care of.
‘’Some of them even stole our money when they were lodged in a hotel. And it was dollars, yet we still treated them well.’’ she said.
Asked how much the models were paid, Nneka hesitated, but didn’t give any figure, she rounded up the call by promising to get back to our reporter but she never did.
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