Actress and producer Bolaji Ogunmola has weighed in on the ongoing debate about royalties for actors in the industry.
In a recent statement on X, Bolaji advised actors who want royalties to take the back-end approach by investing their own money in films.
She suggested that they negotiate a reduced upfront fee or even work for free in exchange for a percentage of the profits.
According to her, this way everyone can share in the benefits of the hard work that goes into making a movie.
“If you want royalties, back end. Put your money in the film. Negotiate a slashed fee or nothing at all for a percentage. Put body joor. Let’s all enjoy the benefit of the hard labour”, she wrote.
She also urged fans and the public to stop watching Nigerian movies on pirated platforms such as Moviebox and Telegram, stressing that such practices hurt the industry and make it difficult for everyone involved to earn properly.
Ogunmola added: “You can’t want lifetime royalties for actors and still be watching their film on pirated platforms now!!!! Ejoor now!!!! Please….. help us . Moviebox / telegram is not the place to watch Nigerian content. Help us”.
Bolaji’s comment follows veteran actress Patience Ozokwor’s claim in an interview that many actors resort to begging online because they do not receive royalties after working on films.
Ozokwor explained that actors are usually paid only for their appearance on set, with no residual or backend payments, unlike what obtains in more structured film industries abroad.
