From the moment she appeared on Real Housewives of Abuja, Princess Umeh-Ubaka, known as Princess Jecoco, captivated audiences as an “energy goddess”. Her vibrant personality, dramatic fashion, and deep love for culture made her a standout. In this interview with TheCable Lifestyle’s TAIWO OSHUNLOYE, the reality star opens up about her career shift, her recent separation from husband Henry, who she married in 2015, and navigating the dynamics of the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa.
TheCable Lifestyle: You are a Law graduate with a master’s in oil and gas law. What prompted your shift into entrepreneurship, influencing, and hospitality?
Princess Jecoco: So, somehow I have always been sort of in the entertainment lines. You know, I do not practice, right? Ever since I finished school and stuff, I have not practised. So I think it is just me having a flair for fashion, entertainment, and what have you, like, you know, active movies and stuff like that. Really, it is just about passion, to be honest. That is literally it.
TheCable Lifestyle: You describe yourself as an ‘energy queen’ and ‘vibes goddess.’ Is that for the camera, or are you simply being yourself?
Princess Jecoco: It is just me, I am extra like that. So, I mean, those names, funny enough, were given to me by like my friends, like people that I know and stuff like that. You get what I mean? Like I am always the energy in the room, the life of the party and stuff. Hence why the energy goddess and everything come to play. I basically did not give myself those names. My friends did, people that I know. So yes, it is my way before the show
TheCable Lifestyle: As the president of the Umu Asa Cultural Association, how do culture and heritage play into your public persona and business work?
Princess Jecoco: If you know me, you know that I am very big on culture, especially the Igbo culture. Hence, even as a child, anytime they do like events in school or drama, they will always call me to represent the Igbo tradition. It was almost like I learned Igbo in London when I went to school, so I was not really taught it. You know, as Igbos, we are not so proud to speak our language and well we do not know how to speak our language generally, especially after the war and stuff like that.
But I am so passionate about it, hence why my events on the Real Housewives of Abuja were actually Ibuamaka, like celebrating the Igbo culture. Every other person liked random events and stuff, but for me, I wanted it to have a meaning. I wanted it, you know, because the show is viewed globally. So I wanted people to know about the Igbo culture, hence why I did that. And then of course, I got to open a group even before the show called Umasa. It is basically just to promote the Igbo culture generally. I like to put us on the map and stuff like that.
TheCable Lifestyle: You have founded several successful business ventures. What would you say has been your biggest business challenge so far?
Princess Jecoco: Staffing in Nigeria is crazy, so staffing is the major thing. You know, I used to make clothes back in the day, I used to make clothes with my mom. However, of course, you have, like tailors, and if you are making clothes, people who make clothes know that it is, in fact, going to be your only business. You can not do other things because it takes a lot of time, stuff and precision. Because I was like, I am a hotelier, I do this, I do that, so it was not possible.
Moving forward to other business ventures, like I own a store now, a kids’ clothing brand and also adults as well. So staffing is still a problem, like I think it is just a generally difficult thing to get good staff. It is really difficult, and I think that is the biggest challenge. If we had good staff, I know we would have taken off by now.
TheCable Lifestyle: What is the one thing you wish viewers had understood about you during your time on Real Housewives of Abuja?
Princess Jecoco: I think if they understood that I am very honest, I tell you how it is, maybe they would not have come for me the way they did, or maybe if they felt, I do not know… I think it is because I am very loud, but if they can understand that sometimes Princess can be loud, but it does not really mean anything. Yes, I can argue, but it is just surface-level.
Maybe they would not have been too headstrong about certain situations. So maybe if they understood I was loud, naturally loud, not specifically because of anybody else. I understand that. At the end of the day, because I am so outspoken and I tell it how it is, I go home, I sleep, I sleep well at night. But if you hold it in, you’re gonna have a problem.
So usually all those things do not get to me, and I sleep well at night. If I tell you how my mind is, I am good, you get what I mean? Like, if it affects you, fine, but for me, I am good. So yes, I did not have any problems being honest.
TheCable Lifestyle: The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Africa, how were you able to navigate through so many personalities, especially now that it was people from different countries on the continent?
Princess Jecoco: The truth of the matter is, I was somewhat friendly with a couple of housewives, especially from South Africa. You know Joe? I met her a few times, and other people we chat with once in a while. However, like I was more or less anxious to meet them, you know, when you see them on TV, it is different from their real personalities.
That was my main thing going in. And it is so funny because they really put hot heads, I do not know how, but this casting was crazy. But it is so funny because it all worked out. I think it was just a situation whereby I was a bit sceptical, because of the cast that were put on board. But it all worked out. I loved it totally to be honest.
TheCable Lifestyle: What will be different about you this season that we didn’t see when you first appeared on the show?
Princess Jecoco: I think a lot of things are different now. I am more defined, my goals are more defined now. And unlike when I was on the first show, I am recently separated. That is another new thing that is coming on the show as well. I am just a different person, to be honest. Like, I think that is it. You will be shocked by my personality from my own show into this one. I feel like on this particular one, the layers are more refined than on my show.
Usually, in the first seasons of most of these shows, everybody’s trying, and you do not know what to expect. You do not really know what to do, what you are supposed to say, you do not know anything, to be honest. Like in subsequent seasons, unfortunately, we have not gotten to have a second season yet. However, in the second seasons of most of the shows, the ladies get more defined. They sort of expect certain things. They know what to do, what to say.
So for us on this show, everybody is like, let us stay more mature in the entertainment space and in reality. Everybody sort of knew what to do, so it was easy to communicate. There was no newbie; it is different for other shows when you have one or two newbies here and there, but this one, we understood each other, and we connected on that level.
TheCable Lifestyle: If you could change one thing about how reality TV portrays women in Nigeria, Africa, generally, what would it be?
Princess Jecoco: I think it is a situation where they should just be less judgmental. There are so many things that… Like for example, other franchises, like in South Africa, you know, they are a bit more westernised than us. In Nigeria, they give more grace to women in terms of what they want, their individuality, if it is marriage, if it is divorce, if it is having a child out of wedlock, if it is exposing your body, or there is a whole lot, you know. I feel like other countries are far ahead of us in that aspect and basically, they should give more grace to women in that regard.
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