“We Work, They Profit”: Mama G Blasts Nollywood Over Lack of Royalties

Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, has criticised the Nigerian film industry’s payment structure, attributing actors’ financial struggles to the absence of royalties for their work.

Speaking during an appearance on the podcast Curiosity Made Me Ask, hosted by Isbae U, Ozokwor lamented that actors are typically paid only once for film roles, despite the movies continuing to generate revenue long after production.

According to her, the lack of residual income has forced some actors into publicly seeking financial assistance. “The problem is that you see us begging because they don’t give us royalties. We just work and toil so hard, and then that peanut, that money you gave us on board to come and shoot for you, is the only thing we get,” she said.

The actress contrasted Nollywood’s system with practices in more developed film industries, where actors receive ongoing earnings from their work. She noted that such systems provide long-term financial security, even extending benefits to actors’ families after their death.

“Go and look at the smallest actors in developed countries. Every work they do fetches them money every day of their lives. Even when they are gone, their families still live on that. We, we are still working hard,” she added.

Ozokwor further explained that the situation has pushed many Nigerian actors to explore alternative platforms such as YouTube, where they can independently produce and monetize their content.

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

Her remarks have reignited conversations about fair compensation and sustainability within Nigeria’s growing film industry.

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