Veteran Nigerian actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has drawn attention to a major difference between the Nigerian and American film industries, particularly in the way actors are compensated for work that continues to generate revenue after its initial release.
Jalade-Ekeinde, who has spent decades building a career in Nollywood, said her experience working in Hollywood has exposed her to a compensation system that provides actors with residual payments and royalties long after a project has been completed.
According to the actress, she spent only about five years working in Hollywood but continues to receive payments connected to some of her previous projects.
She contrasted that experience with her three-decade career in Nollywood, saying she has never received similar payments for the films she worked on over the years.
The actress used her experience to highlight what she considers a significant disparity in the treatment and compensation of performers across the two industries.
“I’ve only worked in Hollywood for five years, yet I constantly receive envelopes containing my residuals and royalties. I’ve worked in Nollywood for 30 years and have never received a single envelope. Maybe they don’t know where I live,” she stated.
Her comments have renewed attention on the financial structures surrounding actors and other creative professionals in Nigeria’s film industry.
Residuals and royalties can provide performers with additional income when their work continues to be commercially exploited or generates revenue after its original production or release. Such payments can become an important source of long-term financial benefit for actors whose performances continue to attract audiences years after a project is completed.
For Jalade-Ekeinde, the contrast between her Hollywood and Nollywood experiences illustrates the need for greater attention to how Nigerian actors benefit financially from the continued use and commercial success of their work.
The actress has remained one of Nollywood’s prominent figures, having built a career spanning several decades and appearing in numerous Nigerian productions.
Her remarks therefore add to wider conversations about contracts, intellectual property, revenue sharing and the financial welfare of performers in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding entertainment industry.