Veteran actress Beverly Osu has thrown her full support behind Nollywood icon Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde as the veteran star sparks a heated debate over the lack of residuals and royalties in Nigeria’s film industry.
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According to Omotola’s Instagram story, the actress revealed that after just four years and two test projects in Hollywood, she continues to receive monthly residual payments. In stark contrast, Omotola noted, “After 30 years and over 310 Nollywood projects, I get nothing—no residuals, no royalties, just the memory of work done.” She even shared two SAG-AFTRA pay slips to prove her ongoing Hollywood earnings.
Reacting to that post, Beverly Osu called out Nollywood’s structural failings and spotlighted the plight of Nigerian creatives. “What Omotola posted is not about comparison of nations. It’s about the basic dignity of the artist,” Osu wrote. She went on to emphasize, “Art is art. Work is work. Labor is labor. Residuals are a right, not a luxury.”
In her bold Instagram response, Osu slammed the “lazy argument” that dismisses calls for reform as mere first-world versus third-world comparisons. She argued that sustainable careers depend on fair compensation long after filming wraps, urging stakeholders to prioritize producer-talent agreements that guarantee ongoing payments.
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Industry insiders say Nollywood’s current model—dominated by one-time fees—fails to incentivize quality and undercuts the long-term financial security of its stars. With international markets opening up, many believe the industry is ripe for introducing residuals, percentage-based royalties, and library licensing fees, aligning local practice with global standards.
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Film unions and advocacy groups are planning roundtable discussions next month to explore new compensation frameworks. Some producers have expressed openness to pilot schemes where top-grossing titles pay back a small percentage of streaming and broadcast revenues to cast and crew.
For now, Omotola and Beverly Osu have set the conversation ablaze, pushing Nigeria’s biggest creative sector toward overdue reform.
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Actor Rights
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Creative Economy
Entertainment
Film Industry Reform
Nollywood News
Residual Payments