Teniola Aladese speaks on payment disparity in Nollywood

Actress Teniola Aladese has spoken out about the secrecy surrounding Nollywood pay and the significant disparity in earnings.

In a recent interview, she noted that many actors accept low fees because they believe the budget is fixed, when in reality, some films allocate more funds for certain roles.

Aladese emphasised the importance of open discussions about pay, citing conversations with colleagues like Timini Egbuson, who shared his dissatisfaction with a project’s offered amount.

According to her, this experience opened her eyes to the industry’s financial realities.

The actress, known for her roles in “Jemeji,” “Love in a Pandemic,” and “Gone,” stressed that this culture of secrecy leaves performers unaware of their true value, leading to unequal pay for similar work.

She said, “In my industry, people rarely talk about pay disparity, and I’m grateful to individuals like Timini Egbusin and Kunle Remi, who openly discuss their earnings with colleagues.

“I remember a conversation with Timini on the set of Love in a Pandemic, he might not even recall it, but he was talking about a project he’d been approached for and mentioned the amount offered. At that time, he wasn’t happy with it. He said something like, ‘You’re calling me to spend weeks on set for what I could make in two to three days elsewhere.

“Hearing that made me realise how much money is actually circulating in the industry. The issue is, because we don’t talk openly about pay, many people aren’t aware of the earning potential. They assume, ‘Ah, they offered me 100,000, I’ll just take it,’ without realizing that budgets are often flexible. For instance, a character might only be needed for a couple of days, but the budget might allocate 700,000.”