Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Eniola Ajao has opened up about the harsh realities faced by many filmmakers when dealing with marketers, revealing the personal sacrifices she made to complete one of her projects. In a candid interview on City FM radio, the actress detailed how high production costs often yield little return once marketers take their share, leaving producers in financial distress.
Eniola did not mince words as she described the current state of the industry.
“Where are the marketers today? You make a lot of movies, spend a lot of money on films but at the end of the day you sit down with the marketers and they give you peanuts.”
She claimed some marketers even deny making any profit while living extravagant lifestyles.
“Some will even tell you they didn’t make anything while they send their children abroad.”
The filmmaker shared her own experience of funding a project, revealing the extreme measures she took.
“I sold my cars — I had two cars — sold my land, and I called Odunlade that I was ready. He borrowed me about ₦8 million naira just for us to finish the project.”
Eniola also addressed the criticism she sometimes receives for producing extensive content and disclosed the main reason she does it.
“Most times, people will tell me I’m doing too much content for a movie but people get tired of helping others over time.”
Despite the challenges, she proposed a practical solution to help filmmakers reach audiences directly.
“I think we need community cinemas.”
Her comments have sparked widespread discussion online, with many industry stakeholders and fans acknowledging and supporting her concerns about the power imbalance between producers and marketers.
The interview highlights the financial pressures that continue to plague Nollywood creators, even as the industry continues to produce globally recognised content.