Actress Patience Ozokwo has said the absence of a royalty system in the Nigerian film industry is a major reason many actors struggle financially despite years of work.
Speaking in an interview, the 67-year-old said actors are only paid once for their roles, with no earnings from repeated broadcasts of their films.
“The reason why Nollywood actors and actresses are poor is because we don’t get royalties for what we do,” she said.
“We only get paid for our appearance at that time. After that, the movie goes everywhere, and that’s it.”
She added that many people assume actors are wealthy because of their popularity, but the reality is different.
“People think we are rich, but we are not as rich as they think because there is no structure that pays us after the job.”
Patience noted that the lack of residual income means some veterans face financial hardship later in life, especially when they are no longer active on screen.
Popularly known as Mama G, she has featured in over 100 films and remains one of Nollywood’s most recognised faces.
