With Venita Akpofure, better known as Veezee Baybeh, life is a fun-filled adventure. It is about searching until you locate your passion. If you are lover of Nigerian music videos, you must have come across her pretty face and dashing figure. She remains Nigeria’s hottest video vixen after her journey kicked off when she landed the lead role in rapper Skales ‘Mukulu’, then Tuface Idibia’s “Ihe Neme”, Ice Prince “Magician Remix, Hakeem da Dream “Scoobi Doo ft eLDee”, NaetoC’s Finish Work and most recently Psquare’s “Alingo”and Timaya’s “Shake Ur Bum Bum”. In this interview the Delta State born beautiful model, actress and the face of Martini Rose wine shares her dreams, love life, controversies and lots of other hidden things people don’t know about her
Tell us about Venita Akpofure?
My name is Venita Akpofure. I am 27-years old. I am Deltan, but born in England. I actually came back to Nigeria when I was four years. Then I went to school in Benin but lots of people think I am this ‘Butty’ child that spent all her live off shores. I went to primary school at Our Lady of Apostles in Benin. Then I went back to England, when I was 9, I was there till I was 24. Then I came back to Nigerian again to disturb everybody’s life because I was bored over there in England. (Laughs).
You mentioned that you are a Deltan but you look more like a half-caste, are you one?
(Laughs). I am not a half-caste but quarter-caste because my father is a half caste but my mother is a full Nigerian but very fair. I am the first child in a family of 4. All my siblings are in England. My younger brother just graduated from Law school. I am a graduate of Accounting from Kingston and Hertfordshire University, United Kingdom.
You look more like a foreigner, yet chose to maintain the native surname ‘Akpofure’?
I think the Venita is fun, although my mother gave it to me. I am also proud of where I came from. I am proudly a Nigerian. People need to identify with me as a Nigerian and not see me as someone from afar.
You model, you act, and you dance, what is your main profession?
I am model, an actress and I am now also a CEO. I am about to kick off my boutique. I am actually still trying to put things in place. I have an online business running for a while now, so I am bringing it to life now. I am into everything from clothes, shoes, ornaments, etc.
Why the sudden decision to run a boutique?
I am not leaving my modeling life or acting career for this. This is just another addition. I am currently the new face of Martini Rose and Mouka foam. I still model a lot and act too. I do pretty much of everything.
Obviously, you are more of a model. When did the journey begin?
I took my first of pictures in 2005. My friend was going for a shoot, so he took my pictures. A lot of people bought into the image and that was where it all started. From there, I started making money with my pictures.
Can you give names of other top companies you have modeled for?
Martini Rose is the biggest company I have ever modeled for. I am on their billboards. Last year I was the face of FCMB ( First City Monument Bank), Mouka Foam.
How about your appearance in Videos?
My background in dance made me stand out in the videos I appear. That is how I separate myself from what is already in the market. But I have stopped doing videos. The last video I did was Naeto C’s ‘Finish Work’. Besides, I did it for him and Clarence Peters as a personal favour. I am full time on TV; acting, no more video appearances.
TV productions?
Yes, I am currently doing AY’s Crib. It is a TV comedy series running every week. I also do lots of movies, but I don’t know some of their names yet.
What is the weirdest question you have been asked?
Hmmm! That’s a tough one. They are lots of them though. Sometimes, people call to tell me that they are related to me. And funnily enough, they will start explaining to you that your father and their mother or sister have blood ties and all that.
How about from men, especially your male fans?
People expect that I get lots of attention from men, but no, I don’t. I will be naturally inclined to agree but I don’t see them into me like that. It’s cool, it’s okay. I can handle what I am getting now. It hasn’t gotten out of hand. (Laughs).
You once had a messy fight online with a friend over Brazilian hair, what really went wrong?
I didn’t fight anyone. Anybody who has been following me would know that I was an ambassador of a hairline, so hair extensions weren’t really my problem. I can get it anytime I want it. What happened is that I felt really betrayed by somebody I took as part of me. But its okay, life has its lessons and I have learnt mine and haven’t stopped learning more by the day.
I won’t say I regretted taking my anger online but I just wished I did it in a different manner. I didn’t even mean to. I just posted a comment where I poured out my anger, but you know bloggers and their snooping around. Somebody just picked it up and blew it big. Its past and I have moved on. I like saying it all, the way I feel. And nobody can change that about me.
But you also verbally fought Toke for being ‘too fake’?
Toke’s case with me blew up twice. The first one was really incorrect. I woke up in the morning and saw a headline that I called her a ‘prostitute’ and I was like wow, really? Did I ever do that? My comments online that period wasn’t referring to Toke, but there was no need to come out and start defending myself over it. So, I just left it like that. I and Toke are not enemies. She’s very good as what she does. I respect her doing what she’s doing. It doesn’t necessary mean that I have to like her or make her my friend.
After that, have you guys worked on same set?
Yes of course, we have. We just do our thing and go. There was no reaction from both parties. I am really a blunt person, so you don’t really want to come close to me and confront me over certain issues. Because what you will get back will really hurt but I won’t stop telling you the truth.
What does love mean to you?
It means happiness. If you love yourself more, you source for your happiness. Love is family. Not necessarily blood ties, but people close to me and we share certain things in common.
Are you in love?
Of course yes! I am in love. I don’t like to admit it because I have my own tough girl thing going on, but matters of heart takes over you. I am very much in love with my man. A very cute man for that matter. He is my honeypie. He is also in Nigeria but very similar to me; he has background from some other countries. He has same morale and aspiration like I do. I love him so much, that is the much I can say.
What is the attraction?
He is simply beautiful! I look in the mirror and I see him. Sometimes, people even think that we are related. We were friends for a while before been intimate. We have been together for a year now.
What if he proposes?
Yes of course, I will say yes. I am no longer a spring chicken (yes). I am 27-year old. I have stopped the video vixen for other younger girls. I want to get married someday. If it is the will of God that we both are joined in matrimony, then so be it.
Who are those you admire in the industry?
I like and admire lots of them for their different reasons. Rita Dominic, Ayo Makun, Mercy Johnson, Genevieve Nnaji, Journalists, my friend and PA here, Yolanda, and plenty of others.
If you are have a dinner date with two actors in Nollywood, who are those on your mind?
I’ll pick a couple of people, Alexx Ekubo, because he is more like family to me. He really has to be at the dinner. Blossom will have to be at dinner also because my mum has a crush if not an obsession for him, (laughs). Then I will like to add Bryan Okwara, Uncle AY and lots of other people. I like giving people food, especially the men. They are very vulnerable when they are eating.
Your mum has a crush on Blossom, so who is your crush?
Well, I used to have crushes on some cute guys but then I met all these fantastic people and then the crush turned to friendship; fantastic friends.
For example, Alexx Ekubo is fantastic to look at. He was my crush, but I don’t look at him like that anymore because he is now my friend and brother.
We even had to do a movie together, where we were actually boyfriend and girlfriend. That was so awkward; I was just blushing all through. At a point, he was my crush from a far, now we are so close to the point of kissing in movies. It happens like that.
At a point, you were rated the highest paid model in Nigeria, are you really that expensive?
Well, I didn’t say that, but some other people did or maybe I am (laughs). Now let’s look at it this way, when I first started my first model job here in Nigeria, I earned 30thousand. So, I know where people are starting from. Runway models here in Nigeria are not paid much either. They pay them between 80 to 100 thousand for each show. I reached a point in my career where I was earning multiples of that, just for a video. So based on that, people calculate it and come up with the fact that I am the highest paid.
Have you ever been embarrassed about what people say or write about you?
No! Not at all. Everybody mustn’t like me and I mustn’t like everybody. Some people post nice comments, others just say a lot of things. I just don’t mind. I can’t stop being me.
In 5years time, where do you want to see the Venita Brand?
In five years time, some upcoming ones might be asking who am I. because if I am more successful as a mogul, then I won’t be more on the screen anymore. I might also think about going into movie productions. Do my own movies; face my boutique, so that I can have time to face my family. Yea! I believe I should be married with kids in five years time. (Laughs).
– Nigeriafilms.com
