Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, has opened up on the financial struggles faced by many actors in the Nigerian film industry.
Speaking during an appearance on the show “Curiosity Made Me Ask,” hosted by Isbae U, Ozokwor attributed the hardship to the lack of royalties for actors.
According to her, most performers in Nollywood are only paid once for their roles, regardless of how successful the movie becomes or how often it continues to generate revenue.
She explained that this one-time payment system leaves many actors without a steady source of income, even after years of hard work in the industry.
“The problem why you see us beg is because they don’t give us royalties. We just work and toil so hard, and that little money paid during production is all we get,” she said.
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Ozokwor compared the situation to what is obtainable in more developed film industries, where actors earn residual income from their work long after production ends.
She noted that even lesser-known actors abroad continue to receive payments from past projects, adding that such earnings can extend beyond an actor’s lifetime and support their families.
The actress further revealed that the absence of sustainable income has forced many Nollywood actors to explore alternative platforms, especially YouTube, where they can directly monetize their content.
“That’s why everyone is running to YouTube,” she added.
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