Mercy Aigbe Hajiya Meena (born 1 January 1978) is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

, director, fashionista and businesswoman. She is best known for her Yoruba indigenous movies.

Early life

Mercy Aigbe was born on 1 January 1978 in

Edo State Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controversy ...

. to Pa Aigbe and Mrs. Abisola Grace Owodunni She hails from

Benin city Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano (city), Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of ...

which is the capital of

. She is the second child in a family of five. She had her primary education at St. Francis primary school and attended Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School

Ikeja Ikeja is the capital city of Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria. Its population, as of the 2006 census, is 313,196. Prior to the emergence of military rule in the early 1980s, Ikeja was a well planned, clean and quiet residential and commercia ...

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

. She is also an alumnus of

The Polytechnic, Ibadan The Polytechnic, Ibadan (typically called "Poly Ibadan") is an institution of higher learning in Ibadan in Oyo State, Nigeria. Founded in 1970, Poly Ibadan is similar to other polytechnics in Nigeria. The institution was established to provide ...

Oyo State Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun ...

, where she received her OND in Financial Studies. In 2001, Mercy Aigbe graduated from

University of Lagos The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...

with a degree in

Theater Arts Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

Career

Mercy Aigbe kicked off her acting career by starring in some soap operas, including the popular TV drama series "

Papa Ajasco ''Papa Ajasco and Company'' (formerly ''The Ajasco Family'') is a Nigerian family television sitcom created by Wale Adenuga in 1996. The show is a spin-off of a feature film of the same title produced by Wale Adenuga in 1984, which in turn is b ...

." Professionally, Mercy joined the Nollywood industry fully in 2006 and acted in the movie that brought her into the limelight 'Ara,' a movie produced by Remi Olupo in

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

, Oyo State. She founded "Mercy Aigbe Gentry School of Drama" in 2016.

Endorsement

In November 2014, Mercy Aigbe was made the brand ambassador for Elephant Gold Rice. Mercy Aigbe signed a one-year deal to be the brand ambassador for Prestige Cosmetic in June 2015. In July 2016, Mercy signed an endorsement deal with Edalaf Brother Limited, an IT solution company. She was made an ambassador for a fitness company called "Shape you," the company that produces Slimming Coffee in October 2016. Mercy Aigbe, in March 2017, was made the brand ambassador for BK hair. In September 2018, She was made the brand ambassador for "Naija Taxi Services", a company that deals with transportation of people. Mercy Aigbe alongside Bose Alao and Biodun Okeowo penned an endorsement deal with a Cosmetic giant "Mary Make"

Filmography

*''Satanic'' *''Afefe Ife'' (2008) *''Okanjua'' (2008) *''Atunida Leyi'' (2009) *''Igberaga'' (2009) *''Ihamo'' (2009) *''Ìpèsè'' (2009) *''Iró funfun'' (2009) *''Mafisere'' (2009) *''Oju ife'' (2009) *''Omoge Osas'' (2012) *''Ile Oko Mii'' (2014) *''Victims'' (2015) *''The Screenplay'' (2017) *''Little Drops of Happy'' (2017) *''200 Million'' (2018) *''Second Acts'' (2018) *'' Lagos Real Fake Life'' (2018) *'' ''Swallow'''' (2021) *'' Crazy Grannies *'' Obsessions (2022 film)''

Awards

Fashion and style

Mercy Aigbe is known for her unique style and dressing. At the 2016

Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards ''Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards'' (AMVCA) is an annual accolade presented by MultiChoice recognizing outstanding achievement in television and film. The inaugural Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards ceremony was held in Lagos, Lagos State ...

, Mercy Aigbe's dress earned her great applause from fashion stakeholders, and she trended on social media even after the ceremony. The dress was commended for its unique design. In November 2014, Aigbe launched her clothing store, Mag Divas Boutique in

, then opened another outlet in

. She was awarded ''Fashion Entrepreneur of The Year'' at Links and Glitz World Awards.

Personal life

Her first marriage ended due to the interference of her mother-in-law. In 2013, Aigbe married a

hotelier, Lanre Gentry, and has two children. In 2017, she shared photos of herself after allegedly being assaulted by her husband. She consequently separated from her husband due to claims of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

, and started a campaign against it. Mercy Aigbe acquired a multi-million naira new mansion in 2018. In 2022, she married Kazim Adeoti, popularly known as Adekaz. In 2023 converted to Islam changed her name to Hajiya Meena.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aigbe, Mercy 1978 births Living people Nigerian film producers University of Lagos alumni Nigerian fashion businesspeople Actresses in Yoruba cinema 21st-century Nigerian actresses Actresses from Edo State 21st-century Nigerian businesswomen 21st-century Nigerian businesspeople Nigerian film actresses The Polytechnic, Ibadan alumni Nigerian film directors Yoruba actresses Nigerian women film directors Nigerian female models Nigerian film award winners Nigerian media personalities Nigerian television personalities