Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has reignited the conversation about the need for structural reform in Nigeria’s film industry, comparing her experiences in Hollywood and Nollywood.
In a post shared via her Instagram story, the actress highlighted the stark contrast in royalty payments between the two film industries.
Omotola, who has spent over three decades in Nollywood with more than 310 projects to her name, lamented the absence of residual payments for actors in the Nigerian film industry. In contrast, she revealed that she continues to receive monthly residuals for just two test projects completed during her brief four-year stint in Hollywood.
“Just 4 years in Hollywood, 2 test projects, monthly residuals,” she wrote in the post, accompanied by an image of envelopes from SAG-AFTRA, the American union representing film and television actors. “30 years in Nollywood, 310+ projects, no residuals,” she added.
She ended with the hashtags #NollywoodNeedsStructure and #UnlearntoRelearn, reinforcing her call for systemic change in Nollywood’s compensation model.
