Now Reading: Laura Ikeji Credits Real Housewives of Lagos for Business Boom Over Three Years
-
01
Laura Ikeji Credits Real Housewives of Lagos for Business Boom Over Three Years
Laura Ikeji Credits Real Housewives of Lagos for Business Boom Over Three Years
Laura Ikeji, entrepreneur and star of The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOL), revealed on April 11, 2025, that her three-year stint on the Showmax reality hit has “transformed” her fashion and beauty empire, speaking at a Lagos influencer summit.
The 37-year-old, who joined RHOL’s 2022 debut, said the show’s 10 million viewers across 50 African countries boosted her Laura Ikeji Fashion brand by 40%, with online sales hitting ₦500 million in 2024. “It gave me a platform to showcase my hustle, every episode was free marketing,” she told 500 attendees, crediting RHOL’s drama for driving 200,000 Instagram followers to her boutiques in Lekki and Abuja.
Ikeji, sister of blogger Linda Ikeji, said RHOL’s third season, airing February 2025, doubled her perfume line’s revenue to ₦80 million, per audited figures, as fans emulated her on-screen style—70% of her store’s dresses now sell out post-episode. Nigeria’s reality TV market, worth $50 million, thrives on RHOL’s 30% audience share, per MultiChoice.
Ikeji, a mother of two, navigated feuds with co-stars like Toyin Lawani, but her 2024 spin-off deal with Showmax for Laura’s Diary signals staying power. Critics note her brash persona divides viewers, 20% of polled fans call her “polarizing”, yet her 15% stake in a new RHOL merchandising line shows business savvy. Ikeji plans a 2026 store in Ghana, banking on RHOL’s global streaming to fuel growth.
