The conversation surrounding lifetime royalties in Nollywood has reached a fever pitch. While veteran actors and industry stakeholders have long advocated for a system that mirrors the residual structures of Hollywood, the practicalities of the Nigerian film economy often tell a different story.
Adding a fresh and pragmatic layer to this discourse is actress and filmmaker Bolaji Ogunmola, whose recent insights have challenged both colleagues and fans to look beyond the surface of the demand.
Ogunmola’s contribution to the debate moves away from emotional pleas and focuses instead on the mechanics of investment and the ethics of consumption. Her stance is a sobering reminder that for a system of royalties to work, the industry’s financial and moral foundations must be aligned.
One of the most striking points Ogunmola raised is directed squarely at her fellow actors. The demand for lifetime royalties often assumes that an actor's contribution, their performance is enough to warrant a perpetual share of the profit. However, in the current Nollywood climate, producers often shoulder the entirety of the financial risk.
Ogunmola suggests that if actors are truly serious about earning "back-end" or long-term royalties, they must be willing to put some "skin in the game." This involves a shift from being mere employees to becoming partners in the production. She advises actors to consider negotiating for a slashed upfront fee, or even performing for free, in exchange for a percentage of the film’s eventual profits.
By doing this, an actor transitions into an investor. When you "put body" and invest your hard labor as equity, your claim to the long-term benefits of that labor becomes much stronger. This approach requires a level of faith in the project and a willingness to share the risk of failure, a risk that producers currently bear alone.
Beyond the boardroom negotiations between actors and producers, Ogunmola identified a critical external factor that makes the royalty conversation almost moot: the audience. There is a deep irony in fans demanding better welfare and lifetime earnings for their favorite stars while simultaneously consuming their work through illegal channels.
Piracy remains a "broken" part of the Nigerian entertainment system. Platforms like Telegram and various illegal sites are draining the revenue that would theoretically fund these royalties. As Ogunmola pointed out, you cannot want lifetime royalties for actors and still watch their films on pirated platforms.
Every time a viewer chooses a pirated link over a legitimate cinema ticket or a streaming subscription, they are directly taking money out of the pockets of the very actors they claim to support.
For royalties to exist, there must first be a transparent, trackable, and profitable revenue stream. If the "water" is leaking out of the pipe before it even reaches the tank, there is nothing left to distribute to the cast and crew.
Bolaji Ogunmola’s weighing in on this topic serves as a bridge between the idealistic desire for a better Nollywood and the harsh reality of its current economic state. Her message is clear: royalties are not a gift; they are a byproduct of a healthy, structured, and respected industry.
For the dream of lifetime royalties to become a reality, actors must be willing to think like entrepreneurs, and fans must be willing to act like patrons.
It is only when the labor is respected by the audience and the risk is shared by the creators that Nollywood can move toward a system where everyone, producers and actors alike can enjoy the long-term benefits of their hard work. The conversation is far from over, but Ogunmola has certainly given the industry plenty of food for thought.