From being raised by a single mother to securing multiple brand endorsements, Erica Nlewedim is slowly making a name for herself as one of Nigeria’s most sought-after media personalities. The 27-year-old is carving a niche for herself as an actor, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Erica was born to Eric Christian Nlewedim and Oby Nwokolo in Lagos State on March 13, 1994. She began her secondary school education at Victory Grammar School Lagos but later moved to Command Secondary School, Ikeja. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business from Covenant University in 2013.
In 2014, Erica participated in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) beauty pageant, where she won the award for Miss Photogenic. In 2015, she starred in the movie Secrets and Scandals. In 2016, the actress appeared in the film Once Upon A Night. In 2019, she was featured in the movies Hire A Woman and Made In Heaven.
In 2019, Erica graduated from London’s Met Film School. In 2020, she successfully auditioned for Big Brother Naija and quickly became one of the season’s strongest contenders. However, after 71 days in the Big Brother house, she was disqualified, having received three strikes for multiple infringements of house rules.
Since her exit from the show, she has seen her profile rise: she got signed by Paul Okoye’s Upfront and Personal Management Company. Erica currently has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, and she is an ambassador for multiple brands, including Star Radler, Kuku’s Hair and Kuda Bank. She has her own reality show, Inside Life With Erica, which premiered on MTV Base on June 9, 2021. She has been cast in a movie called Devil In Agbada, set for release on July 2, 2021.
In an April 2021 interview with The Voice (UK), Erica revealed that it was boredom that largely motivated her to audition for Big Brother Naija.
“As soon as I had finished the courses (at Met Film School), I was back home and working. But then Covid hit and nothing much was happening”, she said. “I was stuck at home and that’s when I decided to apply to be a housemate for Big Brother.”
Erica has also delved into modelling and made huge strides while at it. She has worked with brands like Glo and Jumia, and from 2015 to 2017, her face appeared on brand campaigns for Zaron Cosmetics, Access Bank and Maltina.
Away from media and entertainment, Erica is also heavily involved in charity work. In 2018, she launched the Erica Nlewedim Foundation, an NGO committed to looking after underprivileged children. In December 2019, the Foundation launched its Hunger Heroes Campaign, which successfully reached 1000 indigent individuals in Lagos.
Erica was named Most Popular BBNaija Star at the 2021 edition of the NET Honours People’s Choice Awards. She had to deal with stiff competition from Kiddwaya, Laycon, Nengi, Lilo and Ozo to clinch the award.
By Jerry Chiemeke