Nollywood icon, Patience Ozokwor, otherwise known as Mama G, has opened up about the financial hardships that plague many Nigerian actors, attributing the challenge to the absence of royalties for their work.
While speaking exclusively on the podcast “Curiosity Made Me Ask” with Isbae U, Ozokwor revealed that most actors are paid just once for their work, regardless of how much their films earn over time.
“The problem is that you see us begging because they don’t give us royalties. We just work and toil so hard, and then that peanut, that money you gave us on board to come and shoot for you, is the only thing we get,” she lamented.
The movie star drew a stark comparison with the film industries in more developed countries, where even small roles continue to generate income long after the cameras stop rolling.
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“Go and look at the smallest actors in developed countries. Every work they do fetches them money every day of their lives,” she said.
Mama G further noted that this lack of residual income has pushed many Nigerian performers to explore platforms like YouTube, where they can earn directly from their content.
“That’s why everyone is running to YouTube,” she explained.
