Kanayo O. Kanayo pushes for lifetime streaming royalties for Nollywood actors

Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has called on the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) to introduce a policy that will give actors lifetime streaming royalties whenever their movies are shown on platforms like Netflix and other streaming services. He also said Nollywood should set up a special agency to supervise and enforce these payments all over the country so actors can continue to earn from their work long after the film is finished. Kanayo’s demand comes at a time when many once‑famous actors have fallen into poverty after retirement, with people like Papa Ajasco (Abiodun Ayoyinka) and Hanks Anuku sharing stories of struggling without steady income, while Patience Ozokwor has stressed that Nigerian actors only collect money during shooting, not afterward. On social media, there has been mixed reaction: some creatives like writer‑director Jadesola Osiberu and producer Bolaji Ogunmola warn that actors must also share risk and possibly invest in projects if they want backend earnings, while others point out that Nollywood currently lacks the formal contracts and distribution structures that make royalties work in bigger film industries. The AGN president has also admitted that Nigerian actors do not enjoy the kind of residuals that are normal elsewhere, which leaves many stars financially vulnerable. Overall, Kanayo’s proposal has sparked a necessary debate about how Nollywood should pay its actors in the streaming era, even though the industry still lacks the full legal and financial framework to implement it fully right now.