Actress Tonto Dikeh has shared how she secured what she described as her first billion naira deal, saying it came as a result of discipline and maintaining boundaries in her professional relationships.
The 40-year-old shared this in a post on Instagram.
She explained that her approach to access and how she related with people over the years played a major role in the opportunity she eventually received.
“I learned something early: the more I loved and respected you, the more careful I became around you. I kept my distance, not out of pride, but out of discipline. I didn’t want to misuse the privilege of access. For the longest time, I thought it made me strange, maybe even ‘too different’ Or WEIRD,” she said.
According to her, this attitude later worked in her favour when a major opportunity came her way.
“I landed a job that changed my life, my first billion from a single deal. The truth? I wasn’t the most qualified. So I had to ask why me?” she said.
She added that the deal came through a well known African figure who had observed her behaviour over time.
“The contractor who happens to be a very powerful figure in Africa said something I’ll never forget: ‘T, I’ve known you for years. Out of everyone around me, you’re one of the very few I could call on at any time, but you never took advantage of that. You never crossed boundaries,’” she said.
Tonto also cautioned against entitlement in relationships and professional spaces.
“Access is a privilege, not an entitlement,” she said.
She did not give further details about the deal or name the person involved.
Tonto Dikeh began her acting career in the mid 2000s after gaining attention in Nollywood through early roles and public visibility. She became widely known after featuring in several films that established her as a prominent screen presence.
