Nollywood actress, Jemima Osunde has complained about the change in the Nigerian film industry. Speaking on the trend in casting choice and how actors are pressurized to transition into content creation during the age of social media.

In an interview, Osunde explained how traditional actors are being edged out by producers who would rather use social media skit creators than seasoned actors. These content creators, known for producing short, humorous skits on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, have become increasingly prominent in Nollywood films.

According to Osunde, this shift is making most of the industry’s best actors feel like outsiders because production companies for films prefer skit creators due to their massive online audience and ability to produce viral content.

While Osunde mentioned the changing dynamics in the entertainment industry, she also pointed out the economic struggle of actors who rely on their acting careers exclusively.

“It is hard to act today if you don’t have other sources of income,” Osunde further noted. The actress emphasized that expanding one’s career and exploring other forms of content creation aside from the conventional acting roles is a survival need in the current market. The increasing popularity of social media influencers and content creators has been such that actors have been forced to take new routes, from social media to personal branding, to remain relevant and financially stable.

Apart from addressing content creation, Osunde also touched on issues of concern regarding the repeated casting of the same actors in Nollywood films. She responded to one of her Twitter fans who had lamented the lack of new faces in the industry, retorting, “We’re tired of seeing your face too in your office. Damn! I hope they fire you.” Osunde and her co-worker, Enioluwa Adeoluwa both explained that unlike Hollywood, Nigerian actors often have financial limitations which force them to act several roles within a year. They responded that the Nigerian film industry does not have the infrastructure to support a high level of newcomers, with many of the new entrants barely managing to meet basic economic requirements.

“Actors are always overworked and don’t always have the privilege of choosing and choosing projects like their foreign counterparts,” Osunde added.

Her sentiments were echoed by other industry players, who have now come out to condemn the situation in Nollywood and the circumstances they are subjected to. Osunde’s utterances raise alarm about the limitations of the industry at the moment, which, as many observe, are meager pay, limited opportunities, and over-reliance on established stars.

Apart from her concerns, Osunde also noted the health risks involved in Nollywood work. She had narrated her personal experience of Helicobacter pylori infection from food cooked in the course of a shoot in Ibadan that left her three-year war against gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Her fellow actress, Omowunmi Dada, also arrived with her own eerie on-set experience, as she owned up to contracting sepsis in a shoot and being left behind by the production team to fend for herself, though medical attention.

These have set off a broader discussion about better welfare conditions for Nollywood. Actors and directors alike are demanding better safety, health, and overall working conditions on set.

Jemima Osunde’s revelations serve as a harsh reminder of the various challenges Nollywood actors have had to face, from modifying their approaches to accommodate the new age of content creation to encountering hostile working environments. Her call for a revolution in practice in the industry draws attention to the need for enhanced protection and care for actors as they continue to define the growth of Nigerian cinema.

As the industry wrestles with all of this, there is no indication of how Nollywood will evolve and expand to serve its talent and audience more effectively in the years to come.