Patience Ozokwor: Lack of royalties pushing Nollywood veterans into poverty

NIGERIAN actress Patience Ozokwor has blamed the worsening financial condition of Nollywood veterans on the absence of royalty payments in the industry.

Speaking on Curiosity Made Me Ask, the actress, popularly known as Mama G, said actors only receive a one-time fee for their roles, with no residual income after production.

She noted that this payment structure leaves many performers financially stranded over time, forcing some veteran actors into begging.

“Why you see us beg is that they don’t give us royalties. We just work and toil so hard, and that peanut you gave us to come on board and shoot is what we get,” she said.

Ozokwor contrasted the situation with developed countries, where actors continue to earn from their work long after production, even posthumously, through royalties that also benefit their families.

READ ALSO: How race against time ended in tragedy for Nollywood actress Allwell Ademola

She explained that Nollywood’s earlier funding model, dominated by independent marketers who financed and controlled distribution, contributed significantly to the lack of residual income for actors.

However, she pointed out that the rise of digital platforms such as YouTube is gradually reshaping the industry’s structure.

“People who sponsored movies were struggling people, marketers, and things like that. That one is past because all of us are now on YouTube and other platforms,” she added.

In 2025, actress Ronke Oshodi Oke also highlighted the longstanding royalty challenge, noting that filmmakers are now adapting to new distribution channels.

“Before, it used to be very difficult to earn royalties from movies. We have just been managing and trying,” she said.

“Thank God now you can have your own YouTube channel. You are your own marketer, producer, and executive producer; you do everything on your own.”