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Nilva was a Ferengi Commerce Authority commissioner and the chairman of the Slug-o-Cola company.

Nilva was the only commissioner who agreed to travel to Deep Space 9 in 2374 to hear Ishka talk about the benefits of allowing female Ferengi to make profit. It was the hope that Nilva would support Ishka's views, which would lead to Zek being reinstated as Grand Nagus, having been removed from this position for supporting Ishka's feministic ideals and replaced, temporarily, by Brunt.

Before Nilva could arrive, however, Ishka fell ill and was unable to talk with the commissioner. In need of a female to convince Nilva that Ferengi females deserved equal rights as men, Ishka's son, Quark, was surgically altered to resemble a female and assigned to discuss the subject in his mother's place.

When Nilva arrived at the space station, he became attracted to Quark, now called "Lumba". During a dinner, "Lumba" seduced the commissioner, convincing him that equal rights for females could benefit both the Ferengi economy and Nilva's own profits (The main argument of this approach being that clothing includes pockets, and females will thus want to make more money in order to have something to put in those pockets).

Later, the two were alone together in Nilva's quarters, as "Lumba" attempted to fend off the commissioner, Brunt burst in and announced that "Lumba" was really a male. "Lumba" then disrobed to reveal "her" body, leaving no doubt that "she" was female. Nilva then left the station, promising to do all he could to see that Zek remained Grand Nagus. (DS9: "Profit and Lace")

Nilva was played by Henry Gibson. He obviously kept his promise, as Zek was Nagus again when next seen in "The Emperor's New Cloak".
Nilva's costume was worn by Francis Scofield for a photoshoot with Chris Pine for the December 2009 edition of GQ.

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