Genevieve Nnaji makes first public appearance months after mental illness rumour

Genevieve Nnaji, the Nollywood actress, has made her first public appearance — months after it was rumoured that she was battling mental health issues.

The film star has been in the public eye since she unfollowed everyone on Instagram in January and subsequently deleted all her posts on the platform.

At the time, there were widespread rumours that all might not be well with her.

Concerns over her well-being also heightened due to her social media absence and non-appearance in public events — as it created room for various speculations.

But on Saturday, the movie producer turned up for the 2022 Creative Nexus (CANEX) weekend in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The event, known as CANEX WKND, brings together Africa’s creative minds, business and political leaders, policymakers, and thought leaders to drive global expansion and trade in the creative and cultural industries.

It features some of Africa and the diaspora’s top creative minds including the Nigerian trio of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Bruce Onobrakpeya, and Alex Okosi.

The three-day event, which started on Friday, is billed to end on November 27.

Nnaji spoke on the importance of the film industry to the development of Africa at the summit.

The film star also took to her Instagram story to share a picture of herself at the event.

With strings of awards and recognition, Nnaji has established herself as a household name in the country’s movie industry.

The Nollywood star gained prominence with her role as a child actor (8) in the then-popular television soap opera ‘Ripples’.

She has received several awards and nominations for her works — some of which include the Best Actress of the Year Award at the 2001 City People Awards and the Best Actress in a Leading Role Award at the 2005 AMAA awards.

Her movie, ‘Lionheart,’ was selected by the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC), as Nigeria’s submission for the best international feature film category of the 2020 Oscars.