Nollywood actor and comedian Afeez Oyetoro, widely recognised by his stage name, Saka, has recalled turning down a multimillion-naira endorsement offer from a betting company at a time when he was facing serious financial challenges.
Oyetoro disclosed that the company offered him N7.5 million in 1999 to serve as an ambassador and promote its betting business.
Despite the significant value of the proposal, he said he decided against accepting it because doing so would have conflicted with his religious beliefs and his responsibilities as an educator.
Speaking during an interview on African A-List, the actor explained that he had consistently discouraged gambling and therefore could not reconcile his public position with becoming the face of a betting brand.
According to him, the decision was particularly difficult because he needed money at the time, but he ultimately placed his principles ahead of the financial benefit.
Oyetoro said his role as a teacher also influenced his decision, noting that accepting the endorsement could have sent a contradictory message to his students and others who regarded him as a role model.
He explained that he was concerned about how people who knew his position on betting would perceive him if they suddenly saw him advertising a gambling business.
The actor, however, said rejecting the offer did not leave him without another opportunity. Shortly after declining the N7.5 million proposal, he received another endorsement offer worth N5 million from a different company.
Unlike the betting deal, Oyetoro said he accepted the second offer because it did not conflict with his personal convictions.
His recollection highlights how the actor’s professional choices, particularly at a financially difficult period in his career, were influenced not only by the value of an offer but also by his religious beliefs and his identity as an educator.
