I’ve received no Nollywood royalties in 30 years — Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
I’ve received no Nollywood royalties in 30 years — Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
Veteran actress and filmmaker, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, popularly known as Omo Sexy, has lamented that she has never received royalties for her 30 years of work in Nollywood, contrasting her experience with the residual payments she receives for projects she has worked on in Hollywood.
The actress made this known during an interview on the Afropolitan podcast on Friday where she discussed her experience working in the American film industry, her relocation to the United States and the practices she believes Nollywood needs to improve.
Her comments come months after her return to the big screen with Mother’s Love, which marked her directorial debut.
After spending some time away from the screen, she premiered the film at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.
It subsequently premiered in Lagos on March 1, 2026, before its nationwide cinema release on March 6, 2026.
Speaking about the difference in compensation between the two industries, Omotola said she had received residual payments for her Hollywood projects despite spending only five years working there.
She said, “I’ve only worked how many jobs in LA right now? And I just came back from LA yesterday and my envelope’s like that, a pile of residuals waiting for me.”
Comparing this with her experience in Nigeria, she added, “I’ve put in 30 years here. I’ve never received an envelope.”
The actress also said that no one had approached her to offer additional payment in appreciation of the success of a film she had worked on in Nigeria.
“No one has also thought, oh my God, you know, this movie did so well. I’m just going to send you a check. Just thank you,” she said.
Beyond payments, Omotola identified production standards, proper pre-production planning and financial accountability as areas where Nollywood could learn from Hollywood.
She said Nigerian filmmakers were often more resourceful and careful with production expenses because they were spending their own money, but noted that the industry’s approach to shooting could sometimes lead to fatigue and accidents.
According to her, Hollywood’s strict working-hour rules and production procedures offer useful lessons, although she believes both industries have practices they could learn from each other.
“We have to find the balance, you know, between taking breaks and taking excessive breaks. That’s something we do well here,” she said.
She also criticised what she described as inadequate financial controls in some locally funded film projects, particularly where international organisations provide funding without ensuring that proper procedures are followed.
Omotola argued that production funds should be kept in escrow rather than handed directly to producers before projects begin.
“Why is that so hard for us? Like, you hear people say, oh, you know, they got money from BUI or some kind of body or stuff like that. And before the project starts, the producer, according to them, would have spent the money on this and that,” she said.
She called on international funding organisations to ensure that local productions follow established standards rather than allowing poor practices to continue.
“You should come into this environment and teach those standards and make sure that people understand the standards, keep to those standards, because that’s how you leave the local community better off,” she said.
The actress also reflected on her decision to relocate to the United States, describing it as one of the best decisions she had made.
She explained that she had previously turned down opportunities to relocate, including one in 2010 after her second album and another in 2013, following her recognition on the TIME 100 list.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted her to reconsider the decision. She said she eventually discussed it with her husband, who supported her choice.
“I didn’t want to ever look back and regret that this opportunity came at least three times in my life. There’s a reason why it keeps coming back,” she said.
Omotola added that living in the United States had given her a greater sense of calm and helped her reassess the social pressures she experienced in Lagos.
“Everything. It’s how calm I am now, with my mentals. I come back to Nigeria, Lagos, and it almost seems like I didn’t grow up here,” she said.
She described Lagos as hectic, citing the pressure to attend events, maintain appearances and constantly impress others.
According to her, living in California has helped her become less concerned about public appearances and the expectations surrounding celebrity life.
“It’s just, that’s also part of the things I unlearned,” she said.
