Entertainment

What COVID-19 pandemic has taught me – Mercy Aigbe

Published

5 years ago

May 16, 2020

Following the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic that is currently ravaging the world, many people today are busy counting their gains and losses as businesses are gradually reopening again. And one of such figures is top actress, Mercy Aigbe.

Sharing her COVID-19 experience on Instagram Live session with Temitope Duker, wife of popular film maker and founder of FAD FM 93.1, in Calabar, during the week, the 42-year old actress and brand influencer lamented how the pandemic has crippled her fashion business.

According to her, before the outbreak of the pandemic she had placed orders for goods worth millions of naira from abroad. But up till now, the goods have not arrived Nigeria due to the pandemic.

“It’s been crazy. We didn’t see it coming. We have been home for almost six weeks. Before the pandemic, I placed order for goods from abroad worth millions of naira . Till date, I haven’t taken delivery of the goods. Every day, I call my agent and I’m like when are they shipping my goods? Of course, you know that borders are closed, aircraft are not flying .I have people who have already paid in advance. ”

“I have one particular client who ordered a certain amount of fabrics and I placed the order from China before the pandemic. But up till now, I have not received my goods to the extent that the client is requesting for a refund of her money.’

‘You cannot understand what I have been through during this period. I have tried to take it easy because I need to stay in shape,’Aigbe muted.

However, the actress who’s also into fashion business said, aside having a terrible experience, she has also learnt a very big lesson from the pandemic.

“The pandemic has taught me to be more active online. My online presence has to be stronger than before. I need to make use of my social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, You-tube and Instagram to push my brand and sell my business. That’s basically what I have learnt from the pandemic,’ the actress confessed.

Revealing how she ventured into fashion business, the light-complexioned screen diva and mother of two, said her love for taking pictures and uploading them on social media lured her into the business.

She explained that while she was doing that, it caught the attention of many boutique owners and fashion designers, who started giving her their branded clothes to showcase on her Instagram page. And each time, she wears the clothes and upload the pictures on Instagram, they are usually sold out. “I felt if these people could be making money off me by wearing their brands, why can’t I start my own brand and begin to male money since I love fashion?.

Aigbe, who revealed that she engages local tailors who make ready to wear clothes for her brand, describes her love for fashion as second to none.

According to the actress and business woman, ” I have always loved looking good and felt I could actually turn my passion for fashion into money making venture. That’s how I got into fashion business.”

Aigbe said her dream is to become a multi-millionaire, and that’s why she’s trying to do other things aside acting. ‘Somebody once said to me that if you want to be a multi-billionaire, you have to have different sources of income. You cannot rely on one source of income. I like money and obviously, I want to be a multi-millionaire. I know I cannot rely on one source of income. That’s why I try to do something else aside acting.

Aigbe has surely carved a niche for herself as a fashion icon, and her fans can’t get enough of her style. Each time, she steps out, she gets her male admirers drooling and tongues wagging. And the actress seems to be saying indirectly that “fashion is her second nature.”