Nigerian Idol prize money: Who owes K-Peace?

BY OLUDAYO SALAMI

Kunle Ogunrombi, popularly known as K-Peace, has once again raised concerns about unpaid prize money from his 2015 victory on “Etisalat’s Nigerian Idol”. His recent interview on The Honest Bunch podcast has re-ignited discussions about prize settlements after reality TV shows in Nigeria.

As the winner of a reality TV show, backed by a popular brand (Etisalat at the time), K-Peace deserves the money he won on the show. However, K-Peace’s claims are marked by glaring inconsistencies. Maybe it was intentionally shared to whip public sentiments, knowing that most people would run with that snippet, not the full story. Whatever the intention was, it turned out to be quite misleading. So here are the facts, available to everyone who can do a simple Google search.

Etisalat’s Nigerian Idol was organised by Optima Media Group in 2015.

The cash prize at the time N7.5 million along with, a brand-new car, a recording deal worth and some high-end devices.

K-Peace won the season, and rightly deserved the promised prize

In interviews, K-Peace admitted to receiving N5m and the car.

The next season, 6 years later, a totally different brand got the rights to the show and revived it simply as Nigerian Idol.

Recently, a snippet of K-Peace’s interview on a podcast alluded to the fact that the organisers had not paid him.

The public, including myself, will naturally side with K-Peace, as it is in us to side with a perceived underdog in any fight. An underdog deserving of public support should be one able to tell a coherent story.

If K-Peace still hasn’t received the full amount, he should directly call out those responsible. He won Etisalat Nigerian Idol in 2015, so if there’s an outstanding balance, he should demand payment from Etisalat—now rebranded as 9mobile or the franchise owners at the time Optima Media Group. Publicly addressing the right entity will generate pressure and increase his chances of getting what he is owed.

A background check will reveal that Nigerian Idol went on a six-year hiatus after K-Peace’s season and was revived in 2021. Since then, the show has produced four winners—Kingdom Kroseide, Progress Chukwuyem, Victory Gbakara, and Chima Udoye—all of whom have received their prizes. This further suggests that the issue lies with the former organizers.

To get justice, K-Peace must clarify his claims. Is he seeking the remaining N2.5 million, or is he alleging he was never paid anything? And most importantly, he must call out those holding on to the prize he won. If he remains vague, Nigerians may end up supporting the wrong fight.

This is 2025—there’s no need for fear or hesitation. If there’s money to be recovered, the right people must be held accountable. But without clarity, this could become just another social media distraction. K-Peace, Nigerians are willing to help, but only if the facts are clear.