Patience Ozokwor, the Nigerian actress, has attributed the financial struggles of Nollywood actors to the absence of residual income from royalties.
Speaking during an appearance on Curiosity Made Me Ask, Ozokwor, better known as Mama G, said performers are left with nothing beyond their initial on-time payment when a film is made.
She added that the situation has forced some veteran actors to beg.
“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.
“Go and look at the smallest actor 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 are still working hard.”
The actress added that Nollywood’s old financing model, where independent marketers funded productions and controlled distribution, worsened the problem for performers.
She, however, noted that the rise of digital platforms has begun to change the landscape.
“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 said.
In 2025, Ronke Oshodi Oke also spoke about the royalty dilemma and how Nollywood filmmakers are adapting.
“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.”
