Actress and producer Bolaji Ogunmola has joined the ongoing conversation about royalties for actors in the Nigerian film industry, responding to remarks made by veteran actress Patience Ozokwo in a recent interview.
Patience spoke on the podcast Curiosity Made Me Ask hosted by Isbae U, where she explained why many Nollywood actors struggle financially.
According to her, the industry does not pay recurring royalties or residual income like more structured film markets abroad. She said actors are usually paid only once for their appearance on set, no matter how many times a movie continues to earn revenue later on broadcasters, streaming, or other platforms.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Bolaji suggested a different way for actors to benefit financially from film work. She advised those seeking royalties to consider negotiating for a share of profits by investing their own money in projects.
She wrote: “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.”
Bolaji also urged viewers to avoid watching Nigerian movies on pirated platforms such as Moviebox and Telegram. She said that piracy harms the industry and reduces the earnings potential for actors and filmmakers. “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.”
