282 quotes found
"Once we begin to see women as humans with as much right to occupy spaces as men. We would have removed the foundation upon which gender-based violence thrives."
"Freedom is exercising your rights, getting an education without the fear of sexual harassment."
"It’s time we moved the shame from victim to perpetrator. They’re the ones that should be ashamed."
"I want to encourage you to work hard, believe in yourself and never rely on others for validation."
"You can’t force talent or do something simply because someone else is doing it."
"Now is not the time to stay silent and the youths must overcome."
"We need to shoot more movies that promote and celebrate our culture. Right now, it should be all about presenting our stories to the Western world. I think Nollywood needs to shoot more indigenous, historical movies to tell our stories like ‘Sango’ and all of that. We can change the Nigerian narrative through our films. I believe Nigerian filmmakers have a lot of power in their hands to change our society and even hold our politicians accountable."
"I draw inspiration from happenings around me. I could get an idea and when I am in the bathroom taking a shower I develop it. Later on maybe during a massage, I could give the concept a deeper thought."
"Build a proper structure for yourself and your brand. Get an office, a good website, social media presence, business name etc."
"Everyone makes mistakes, but admit your own before you point out someone else’s."
"Nollywood should get ready for the new faces. Working with young people has really touched my life; so, anytime I hear that they have something new to work on, I quickly jump on it and support them."
"I encourage young ladies out there that are in a hurry to get married, that are pressured to get married. Calm down, take your time, If you rush in, you will rush out.Also marriage is all about marrying your friend"
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. Originality is key."
"It’s not having the skill to do something. It’s about having the will, desire and commitment to be your best."
"As the highest-grossing filmmaker in Nigeria and a reputable actress, I’m proof that hard work and determination can take you far"
"This week – and always – walk as if you know who you are"
""You are golden, intelligent, worthy, powerful, strong, beautiful, and you never doubt it. You must stand tall, take up space. Never shrink. Never apologize for your greatness," she declared."
"Funke is like a mother, she has that mother figure in her. She cares a lot about people around her."
"Nothing good comes easy."
"Working with her was a masterclass, not just as an actress, but also on how to conduct yourself as a creative."
"You should be sure of who you are and who your partner is. That is the first thing and be sure that the love is enough to pull you through."
"The greatest lesson I learnt about marriage is to be patient, you don't talk all the time. You've got to do more of listening than talking."
""Managing and maintaining an almost scandal-free reputation has been the grace of God because we all are not created perfect and as such we just manage to be our self and be of the best behavior. I just feel being an actor opens you up to controversies, scandals, and all that. Maybe I’ve just been lucky.”"
"As a grown-up little child, I always had the flare for the arts. I just wanted to sing in front of people, dramatize and make people happy and laugh. For me, it was an escape as a little child because I was quite a very shy one"
"I have done my part. It is time for God to do His."
"I just don’t want to be too careful when I’m dressing. It takes away from the carriage."
"The bag of knowledge I gathered from my early days in the industry brought me back on track. It’s not been easy."
"You have to be patient and tolerant."
"Three rooms in a house – one in which a man believes he is king; two in which he realizes a woman is god!"
"I was awesome. It was difficult at first; I like being truthful. At the initial stage, it was difficult because even though it was still from the entertainment industry, we were coming from two backgrounds as it were, the music and the acting. They are used to things being snappy"
"From the get go, it was a beautiful script, so I didn’t object to anything. First we had the first draft which we did a reading for. You know when you read a story; it’s one writer, maximum two or three writers."
"Hello, ‘wetin you take old pass me?’ I think it’s because I started off just after I left secondary school, thank God my parents let me do it. Because you see actors everyday on screen, the more you see them, the older they become, and it gets worse for us that get married."
"I miss everything about her. My mum was my best friend."
""I feel as if I’m punishing myself. I am being restricted because I have to stay a Christian but this is what I enjoy doing”"
"Luckily for me, I knew him before I got into the movie industry, so there was some sort of understanding and support from him, so it was very easy and he was always encouraging me."
"Honestly, you don’t have to stop because you can balance both but not with the same speed. So you can be a mum, wife and work as well, though it is not easy but it is important to do it."
"Yes, it is my choice, let me clarify that I don’t do that in the real sense of it but I get around it. My focus is always like, what am I telling the people and viewers watching.""
"For every mountain, you brought me over…For every trial, you’ve seen me through…For every blessing…Hallelujah."
"I don’t like talking about my personal life. My age is not known to the public and I am not revealing it because I see no reason to."
"Although it has been tough raising them, I have been able to handle it, sometimes with the help of my siblings when I’m not available to be with them."
"Focus more on yourself, on improving yourself, of being a good person yourself. Focus on you liking yourself, do you like who you are? Be the best you can be and do not wish to be like anyone else.”"
"Hey you…yes you!Don’t let anything or anyone stop you on your journey to greatness! Go at it with everything!"
"I felt the snippet of my new movie will set the tone for my speech. We are talking about women, so we have to talk about girls because they grow up to be women."
"Majority of people that messed up their lives end up becoming wasted... There are exceptions though... So I am not the one punishing men in my novels, life treats them accordingly."
"There have been more than 70 studies done on my books at various levels of education-NCE, Bachelors, Masters, Diploma etc. Many of these students are fascinated that Hausa writers have such great ideas... This is great that we contribute in positive ways to our society’s attitudinal change and by extension national development. Writers are diamonds. We crystalize societies."
"I am not disputing the fact that some writers have crossed boundaries in their writings. Yes, some have gone the extra mile to be explicit. That is very, very wrong. I hope they will stop one day. But why are people only worried about Hausa novels? What about the English and other literature in which many things that shouldn’t be told are written bare! I advise parental control over reading."
"We are Muslims and we have rules in Islam for marriage and so on. But sometimes, our culture dominates the religious dictates and culture and religion are different. So, I fight because I want to stress that culture and religion are different. Probably that is why I'm called a controversial writer."
"...I tackle issues that some people and writers are afraid to talk about. Before, some old people like my mother's age mates think that their husbands are second to their God but I let them know that their husband is their mate, friend and whatever. Before, it was not like that and because that belief is still dominant in the northern states, whenever you touch that area, men don't like it."
"I don't buy the idea of early marriage because I had to push myself to understand the little English I'm speaking with you. If I hadn't pushed myself, I wouldn't have understood any English. I really desire our daughters in the North to be well educated. I have only two daughters and I want them to have quality education."
"Just as Yakubu fought her way to getting an education and becoming a successful writer, she isn’t one to wait for ideal writing conditions."
"We are talking about a woman who realized early on in life that she had to be improvisational in her approach to life. In spite of a really rough start, she went on to help invent the Soyyaya literary phenomenon."
"If you have an opportunity to make a film, just do it. If you don’t get it all right, the first time, try again, it’s a process."
"I feel the way politics works all over the world has a lot to do with acting and I am already an actor."
"I don’t think I want to be acting in my real life. Politicians literally act when they should take it as a profession."
"Always read the directions it is imperative."
"It’s amazing how ‘young’ people think, saying you are old or getting old is an insult to entertainers before them. Give your stardom fifteen to twenty years if you are still here, still playing at the top, maybe, just maybe."
"People often ask me the challenges of a female filmmaker, but com’on it makes no difference. It’s not a gender thing. It’s all about filmmaking and how serious you’re. For me, if you have an opportunity to make a film, just do it. If you don’t get it all right, the first time, try again, it’s a process."
"For those sitting on a fence, always criticizing, why don’t they give it a shot. Get into the system and make a film. Live by example. Make those kinds of films, you’d like to watch. If you have not made money or lost money in this industry, then just don’t talk. Don’t criticize"
"Women are very serious-minded people"
"If you know me, you would know that I love football and film. It’s a dream come true. ‘Onyeegwu’ was a story I wanted to tell for a long time but it was such a big journey"
"This job, I’m doing it for life so at every stage I am in my professional career as an actor, I want to look the path that I want to play so I continue to work on myself and work on my craft."
"!!Many people are enslaved mentally by pastors when the focus should be knowing and worshiping God!!"
"“Women are very serious-minded people. I remember when I started producing movies, there were a lot of my male colleagues who started producing at the same time."
"The last 10 weeks have been the worst of my entire life. Yes the worst since I was born. I have gone from being so angry to being so broken and back to anger. And then Sadly which I am ashamed to admit suicide."
"As an individual, your own speech, your own choices matter, and can make a difference."
"In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experience that shaped you."
"Even my mistake will speak grace for me. Soon."
"Growing up with only my mother really affected my life and I suffered and I do not ever want my children to face the agony of not having both parents together because it was so hard for us. Even right now, the way the world is, children are more enlightened than we were in our days, so the pressure would be harder on the kids from broken homes right now. I do not want my children to ever experience that."
"I want to believe that I have successfully been able to identify and differentiate my brand as Annie Idibia the actress/career woman and Annie Idibia the wife/mother. I prefer being addressed as Annie and not Tubaba’s wife. I hate this because I am my own person and have worked hard to build my career and brand. I should be identified and respected on that basis."
"Believing strongly that God has given you all the abilities you need, you can be anything you want to be."
"Growth is a gradual process and you must aspire to it every day. This must be backed with a strong determination to succeed."
"To become successful in anything, you need to first of all love what you do and have a strong passion for it. You also need to build up your skills, read widely, study your craft, and keep on setting bigger targets for yourself."
"When people watch a good film with a good message, the result is the same everywhere."
"Art has a huge role to play in society and can be a catalyst for change and positivity if used in the right way."
"What I think we can do better in Nollywood is, improve the quality of our content. We should not compromise standards in any way."
"Film is often the perfect vehicle to provide education about social issues and to inspire social and political change."
"I respect the institution of marriage as my parents were married until death literally parted them and they had a beautiful relationship. The problem is at some point, it begins to annoy you because of how much importance people have placed on it."
"I do want to marry, and I want to get it right once and for all. You know, we make such a big deal of it; we force people and put pressure on them to go in. When they eventually rush into this union, they make mistakes because they were only trying to please people."
"Anjola is a very dark character, infact I remember when we were in the Basement shooting, it was so dark in there that it literally affected me, I wasn’t sleeping well. I’ll try to sleep and I’d wake up abruptly."
"I will marry the man of my dreams and not the man society dreams for me."
""I don’t know. I think I just really think differently from a lot of people. I don’t know. What I mean by that is there are certain things I don’t let get to me"."
"I play Ada, a heavily burdened house wife on a mission to finding fulfilment in her five-year-old marriage. She becomes increasingly desperate and takes a path uncommon to many to fulfil her quest."
"The story and the role are different from anything I’ve done."
"She’s delightful to work with and is very clear with her directions. As a producer, she is very organised. We have very few ‘actor’s directors’ in this industry and she’s one of the very few."
"I’ve featured in a lot of other people’s films aside from mine but over a decade ago, I started being choosy of the kind of movies I feature in. I wanted to go for more challenging roles. I want to play more of an outside the box role that stretches my character."
"Let me say that I like to work on movies that would be seen internationally. It can be a Nollywood that would be globally accepted."
"I won’t say slowing down, it’s about being more intentional about the kind of job you want to be identified with. Because I feel like after being in Nollywood for over two decades, you want to do certain roles that are very challenging outside your norm, stretching yourself."
"I don’t know, all I know is that I just try to do the best I can as a producer and an actor."
"If you have that skill to teach, actors are great teachers on public speaking."
"As long as you have more of the sweet times than the challenges, then you’ve got yourself a successful marriage."
"Interestingly, doing something always starts with 'Saying Something'. To be silent to a wrongdoing in your church, home, workplace , neighborhood ,country, regardless of rationale is to be complicit."
"Four years is a short time. Power needs to be sorted, without it we are going nowhere fast."
"Royal Arts Academy will contribute to the transformation, development and growth of Nigeria and the African continent as a whole, by offering first class training to students who would go on to produce excellent films that would place Nollywood at par with the international community. This training will be provided by industry professionals within and outside the country."
"I’m very happy doing what I’m doing. I have strong passion for it. And whenever I finish a movie and come across people who are enjoying my movies, I always feel elated."
"This is my first time to do a true life story. It was challenging for me. We spent weeks doing research in the creeks of Bayelsa, learning the culture of the people. My choice of cast fit the character in reality."
"Every country should respect its own local industry. We must look for ways to help Nigerians who put in a lot of hard work whether as cast or crew members. Their hope is to be able to earn a living from the sacrifices and efforts they put into supporting the production of the movies the Nigerian audience consume."
"As a way of saying thank you to my people, I have decided to film my next huge project in Uyo to continue in our contributions towards the development and growth of the movie industry in Akwa Ibom and indeed Nollywood."
"Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you’ll look back, and realize they were the big things."
"Special Jollof is just a love story set in the background of immigration, the problems immigrants go through and this preconceived notion that every immigrant is involved in illegal activities. This movie is actually different from what I normally do and because it is a well talked about issue worldwide at the moment, causing concern for world leaders."
"Remuneration for creatives in Nigeria is a far cry from what their counterparts receive abroad. Hollywood and other established film industries are much older and sophisticated than Nollywood and therefore would reward their practitioners better.""
"Shooting this movie was very challenging but also fun. One of the major challenges we faced was finding foreign actors, so, I had to hold an audition but thank God, the turnout was really impressive. Another challenge was finding locations and getting people to open up to you. I was new to that terrain, so, it was quite challenging for me.”"
"Life at 50, nothing has changed. It is still the same me. But mentally, I’m more matured. I have learned to be more humble. Humility pays. People you don’t even know; knows you and watch all your moves. I’m not a gym person, I eat anything but I drink water a lot. That’s my beauty secret."
"I think I have come of age. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve learnt a lot of lessons along the line. I believe in the aphorism that the more you grow, the older you become, the more experienced you would be. Sometimes you read certain things that if you check your life, you could actually pick one or two things that are happening in your own life and you learn a lot on how to handle similar situations."
"Women are naturally mothers and I think it works easy because it comes naturally. We just have to take care of our kids even when we have to work."
"Nothing in life is worth committing suicide over. It is said that when there is life, there is hope. For most people who reached that bridge of almost taking their lives, they eventually thank God that they did not take that plunge. The only thing that is constant is change. You may not have today, but you would have tomorrow."
"When it comes to people in unhappy marriages saying they want to commit suicide, I don’t subscribe to it. If you are not happy in your marriage, the best thing to do is get out of it. However, it is a bit unfortunate that these days, we are no longer as tolerant as our parents before us. Maybe because of the advent of social media, things travel so fast, and we no longer tolerate each other. There are a lot of things that can be overlooked but these days, it doesn’t happen like that. Nobody wants to take the pain to be in a marriage or relationship and stick with their partner’s shortcomings."
"If marriage doesn’t come, one would still live one’s life. It is not a do-or-die affair, and not everybody would get married. When people get married and stay in it, I consider them lucky. These days, marriages don’t last. When one hears the things happening everywhere, getting ‘entangled’ would be scary. People that are not married still live happily."
"Life is not how people see it in movies or on social media. When one’s life is centred around social media, one may start to think that one has a problem. However, it shouldn’t be a do-or-die affair. One can aspire to be more than what one sees. Some people’s lives have been messed up because of social media. They have no understanding of reality again. They believe that living a fake life is is the real thing. They just follow people blindly, not knowing that nobody’s life is perfect."
"On the other hand, some people are friends and lovers, and it works out well for them. Marriage only makes it official and strengthens the commitment."
"I had a great time in Dubai when I went on vacation."
"I don’t really know much about their culture but I know it’s a Muslim country and they take their religion very seriously. I also noticed that they don’t easily mix with foreigners, especially black people."
"If you want to travel anywhere, be it within the country or outside, make sure you have enough money. Also, if you are travelling abroad, make sure your documents are correct and you are travelling through the legal means."
"When I came to the industry, I thought it was going to be easy and that I would just come and there would be rules and that’s just it. But it wasn’t easy, as it was difficult and roles weren’t coming, nothing was happening and nobody believed in anybody as they didn’t believe in wasting their time on who they are not sure of."
"When I’m off the set I’m still Regina and if being a celebrity has done anything for me, it’s to be a better me."
"I see myself as a better person, as the plan of God for me is a better one. I know where he wants to place me is better."
"Like I don’t get, aren’t we supposed to be the ones with a very tender and compassionate hearts? How come we are stone hearted, why are we doing this for goodness sake ? or how do we even start to explain all this wicked acts by women."
"Acting is make-believe, so you have to be comfortable when you’re doing it and you also have to take into consideration that our society does not really support some things; they may just condemn you for doing some things but that does not mean we would not do it. We only have to be considerate when we’re doing it."
"I was in my 20’s with two kids. I was sitting down there with zero balance. We had spent everything we had trying to save their father’s life. Not even a good cloth on me."
"Yes, if the right man comes along."
"I am a very beautiful lady that is single and searching indicate interest in the comment section."
"Entertainers influence people. Or, why do you think business owners pay entertainers to influence the sale of their products? Let’s not be biased. We have some die-hard fans and they would support whichever politician we are behind."
"If we reject money from these politicians, they will start to see us as serious people. I will start campaigning on my page, imploring people not to sell their votes."
"Wreferred you con drop dead, pictures go con dey fly around."
"If u no dey post my picture now wey I dey alive, wey I dey hustle, wey I dey struggle, wey I dey pray everyday make God bless my work, you dey see me pass you dey show me hate, but I die, you post my picture, I go wake up pursue you. No post my picture. If u dey show me hate now, you no dey help me in any way, you no dey post my work, anything, no post my picture when I die.”"
"“I’m crushing on MC o. correct man. I just like bad bois”"
"When I was suicidal, I was so broke one day. One of my visitors brought this shaving powder and I wanted to put it in water and drink it. I told my mother I was going to kill myself as I was tired and frustrated with everything. Life became tiring for me."
"I am not comfortable with romantic roles. Playing romantic roles has never been my strong suit. It is one of the roles that have never gone down well with me. I just do it because it is my job. I think I am not comfortable with it because I am not a very romantic person. The thought of holding someone that is not mine is weird."
"One of the most awkward movie roles I have had was acting as a mermaid. It was very challenging because I was trying to be something that I didn’t know and something I had never seen. How does a mermaid laugh or express anger?"
"In every aspect of my life, I have never seen anyone as a rival. Instead, I see people as partners."
"I do not see flaunting wealth as competition. I rather see it as motivation."
"One’s attitude is what takes one far."
"I have no single respect for anyone who doesn’t keep their camera and their loudspeakers at home while helping the needy."
"During our time, as a little girl, you were not even allowed to have any ambition. You were to grow up to the age of 17, get married, have children, grow old and died. That was the norm. That was the way it was for female children at that time in the environment I grew up."
"My journey into the movie world can be described as a miracle because the truth is that I stumbled upon acting when I was in search of a job to raise money for my school fees after I gained admission to study Mass Communication at the University of Lagos in 1996."
"I strive towards success and genuine happiness every day of my life and by the grace of God, I have peace of mind."
"I would have elected to be a lawyer if I were not in the movie industry. I have a great repulse to injustice. I hate to see people being cheated or people’s rights being violated"
"Take every opportunity you get; you never know which one will help you accomplish your goal."
"Stop comparing your life to others. There’s no comparison between the SUN and the MOON. They shine when it’s their time."
"I have learnt to be patient. I have learnt to understand that people’s destinies are different. I have also learnt to understand that not everybody will appreciate your style, not everybody will understand where you are coming from. All you need as a person is focus."
"There is this rush in me, it is there, and you can feel it inside you, knowing that somebody is going to make use of it. It comes at the end of the script you write knowing you have been able to come up with something that someone else will make use of what you are doing. Then, knowing that not everybody can do what you are doing."
"Growing up in the slum helps you to find yourself. It’s either you are defined or you are not. Growing up as a child in Ajegunle, it’s either you get lost or it helps you find your way."
"As a child I have always known what I wanted. In my room I had a write-up that when I become eighteen I would rent my own apartment."
"You don’t decide when you find the right person, so wherever you find yourself at whatever point in life, it’s important to be happy at that stage."
"Both writing and acting, I don’t see myself trying to compare them. It is my duty to do my job and it is people’s duty to analyse it. Success is getting to a point where you are comfortable with what you have and you are happy with it and this is exactly how I feel."
"One Nigeria can truly not work, except these excesses can boldly and truly be checked."
"Wealth and assets have no hiding place."
"Stop trying to replace your ex. What’s gone is gone. Trust yourself to make better choices and make corrections from your initial error. If you still haven’t healed, give yourself time to."
"What’s gone is gone, what’s lost is lost. Trust in your destiny, you will find love. and it will find you."
"Nobody literally saw COVID 19 coming, this is to let you know we are not in charge of the affairs of the world but we only play an intriguing part. Covid19 affected everyone in different ways."
"I don’t want to ever lose my marriage. I do not want to ever have a failed marriage. I cannot imagine myself and my husband not living together."
"My confidence is top-notch, my beauty is top-notch, my brain is top-notch, my acting is top-notch. So, I am world best. I didn’t call myself, they [fans] called me and I claimed it."
"If actresses don’t dress well, people would abuse them that upon all the films they act, they are not rich."
"When something is local, it does not mean that it is dirty."
"I may fall a thousand times I tell you but I will always rise again greater than before.”"
"Time is indomitable, you can’t stop it, reverse it, hold it or pause it…”"
"I wanted to be the kind of woman who would attract a certain kind of man that I could respect. That was my thinking. It had to do with the kind of couple I would be a part of."
"For me it is not an inspiration, it’s a passion. I have been passionate about acting for as long as I could remember. I can’t really recall what made me to go into acting but I knew right from the beginning that it was what I had wanted to do."
"In all professions, you have bad eggs and decent people that one can respect and I can tell you, you will find many of such people in Kannywood. You know me very well, apart from the fact that at times, I can be too emotional in which some preferred to interpret to mean I am arrogant, I mind my business."
"There are no shortcuts to success, I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am today, so I’ll say hard work, determination and persistence are the key, and for me, those are not secrets."
"Stop giving birth to babies you know you can’t afford to take care of. God will hold you accountable for having children without giving them all the necessary guidance and parental care."
"I think people have to kind of hear the fact that I started writing when I was nine years old. I want people to know my story and all the things that I do. I realize that sometimes, it is important to tell your own story, in your own words. So, that you can also have young people realize that you don’t give up. You just have to keep dreaming and realizing those dreams."
"Life has taught me gratitude. A few years ago, I got sick; my skin changed colour. I just woke up and my skin started changing colour and just about finding out what it was, I lost my brother, Michael, who was running the Foundation. He went for something and then, they shot him. So, my perspectives in life changed totally in terms of living our life just as it is and in turn I realized that everyday could be your last. I don’t think anything can change you more than something that is significant. He had just been with me in the hospital. When you go through such experiences like that then live your life for the best; don’t live it for anybody else. Don’t try to prove any point to anybody but just be as good as you can to the next person."
"So, I do a lot of things with my hands; from Aromatherapy to reflexology, massage. I have different escentric things that I do. But I enjoy readings, watching films and listening to a lot of music. So, when I’m writing, I intend to listen to music. When I’m selling my fabrics, I’m having fun as well."
"2013 was a very difficult year for us logistically. But interestingly, it was one of the years that we planned very well;there were a lot of issues, people claimed they were strangled and I begin to wonder how one could come into Nigeria with one way ticket. It’s not possible."
"Piracy will never go away. It is even what made Nollywood films popular."
"It was tough especially not knowing many people in an industry that is dominated by the menfolk. I am so passionate about films that my determination helped and a lot of perseverance and learning about how things work here. How I learnt abroad and how it is done here, is very different. So you have to learn, ask questions, and work with other people to gather experience. But when I came to my own productions, I had very high standard for myself even as a producer/ director."
"I like to learn from each project that I do what I can do better. I’ve always pushed myself to the next level. So I naturally expect high standard from everybody; actors, crew and everyone that I work with. I am tired of people telling me this is the way it is done in Nigeria. For me, mediocre is not an excuse. I understand that there are certain limitations we have but for me, with passion, determination and with God on your side, you can achieve anything. I am a testimony to that."
"A lot of people are getting married for the wrong reasons: money, family pressure. A lot of people are trapped in their marriages and they do all kinds of things including adultery. So Flower Girl is about a young girl Kemi, who dreams about getting married to her boyfriend because that is what a lot of the women do. They dream about the wedding and never think about the marriage itself which is a lifelong commitment."
"I’d just want to encourage other young people who want to get into the movie industry that they should not give up hope and that they should continue to be passionate about what they want to do whether it is directing, producing or acting. They could start by reading online about their craft. Buy books and attach themselves to a producer for a while so that they can learn about the business and how things work. I’d just encourage them not to give up because I know how hard it can be because I’ve been there myself."
"For me, every time I have to shoot one of those scenes (a sex scene in a movie), everybody is gone on set except the personnel needed to shoot the scene. I go out of my way to make sure that the actors are comfortable to portray what it is to portray and also I ensure that nobody takes advantage of the other because it is difficult for the guy and it’s also difficult for the woman, so it’s my duty to make everywhere comfortable so that they can portray everything they have to portray. As you were asking me how do I do it, I, first of all, empty the place, and only the people that can be there can be there. I know that some crew members can be okay but sometimes, it might make the actors uncomfortable. It’s just another scene in the movie but it’s a serious scene and I make sure my actors are not uncomfortable and I think that is why they are willing to do it for me in my films as well.”"
"A percentage of my profits from my films will be used to build a computer centre in my village. I am even more committed now to ensuring that every young person there receives free basic computer training."
"Irrespective of the lines that divide us, we need to tolerate each other and being knowledgeable that whatever we do to another person comes back to us."
"It’s important to touch on human rights. It’s important to heal the society and tame the evils before the society and that’s why we came up with this movie. We looked at how we can talk about one of the evils in the society and also mirror the society and inspire changes"
"Acting was actually my first love, but for some reason, that part of my life never really took off; so, I went back to film school, London film academy, studied film production/screenwriting and my whole film making career kicked off. What spurred me? I had always wanted to tell and share my story with the world."
"It’s both. I think one of my biggest fears is accepting money to shoot a movie though I do get several offers. In as much as content is king, the demand for it is getting higher but the remuneration is getting lower. Producers, who have made huge box office returns, check out what they have put in and their returns. If you say you make N100 million in cinemas, split that in three ways first before you start considering returns on investment from the one-third that comes to you."
"“I’m a writer, producer, director and sometimes I want to be an actor because my original dream since I was a teenager was to act but life directions didn’t really take that course. I studied Philosophy in OAU and when I graduated I went into radio. I was on Star FM for a while as a newscaster. I then moved to MITV to be a TV presenter and then I went on to Insight Communication Agency to be a copy writer and afterwards went back to radio, Rainbow FM for about 4-years."
"My husband is a young man and very conservative and he had one worry which is quite valid. The trend of people getting married and breaking up was his worry. And also the African perspective to how people will be ‘touching his wife’ and all that but by the time we crossed that bridge, there were lots of rules like ‘ don’t let them hug you’ and the likes. He’s comfortable now that I am the producer and so I’ll know how to write it to soothe our conditions; and by the time he even agreed the flair was gone. So it was more of me just wanting to be a film maker and I found peace."
"You can count on two hands the films I’ve made. That is to tell you that it is not as lucrative as it seems. What makes it lucrative is also spending a lot of money on making the film, promoting the film and making sure everyone hears about it. So, small screen film makers like me (because there are some filmmakers that only come out to make films for cinema) bank on the numbers. As long as you keep working, you’ll be able to balance out. But if you’ll be going to the cinemas, you’ll need money to go in the first place and you’ll also need to wait a long time to be paid and to be licensed. It’s not a return that comes at once, it spreads over time"
"The significance of celebrating my birthday is just to thank God that I added another year. I am alive, hale and hearty. Also, to thank Him for rewarding my career bountifully. I celebrate my birthday every year."
"I will live my dream. I enjoy what I am doing right now. I said I will live my dream in the sense that when I get to that end, I would have put in all I wanted to invest in my career. It’s then, I would say I will be living my dream but I am still working, working very hard to realize that dream. I can’t say I have landed yet."
"I don’t think I have any bad habit but nobody is perfect. I only pray that God makes me a better person in my imperfect ways. I am a human being and human beings are not perfect. It is only God that’s perfect."
"I am just a beginner. I am still growing and learning but very focused. I am just a girl, I am yet to be fulfilled. I am yet to achieve one per cent of what I intend achieving. But by God’s grace, I will get there."
"It was amazing. Growing up is one of the best memories ever. I’m so used to the hustle and bustle of Lagos that it is almost natural. I am a one hundred percent Lagos Girl, especially considering the fact that I grew up in Surulere"
"Stay true to yourself, work hard and do not do anything you will regret. Don’t sell your soul for fame; it’s not worth it."
"I don’t know. I just try to be myself, and try to be healthy. I think that’s the most important thing. Usually, I’m not a foodie, but I am glad my house help ran away two weeks ago. He actually stole my money, and ran away, so now I am used to doing stuff by myself."
"I believe in expressing myself; always stating my point, and sticking to what I believe in. People may read different meanings to it, but at the end of the day, I can only be myself; I can’t try to be someone else, or back-up what I don’t believe in. I wasn’t brought up like that. It has brought me here so far, and I love me."
"I don’t get into trouble. If I say anything anywhere, I will stand by it. I’m not the kind of girl who believes in gossip, or idle chatter. If I have anything to say, I say it and move on. If you have any problem with it, come and tell me."
"Some people are boring and have a myopic attitude but I don’t worry myself about them"
"Playing with a python or lion is not a big deal. I have always loved animals and I like having them around me. I don’t see anything unusual about that."
"No matter how ambitious or intelligent you are, your plans may not turn out exactly as you’ve envisioned."
"Try and be the best version of yourself. Work hard and never stop learning."
"Trying To Be Like Someone Else Betrays Who You Are"
"When I submitted my film to the Afrika Film Festival, all I wanted was my film to be seen by a wider audience it was amazing being nominated and ultimately winning the UNESCO prize."
"A pure documentary that encourages active participation in the process of emancipating women in Nigeria, but also globally."
"It really doesn’t make any difference to me really except he has a white skin and I have a dark skin. It would have been same if I married anyone outside my tribe in Nigeria as we all have different cultures. Adaptation happens naturally"
"I’ve never been afraid of a challenge"
"I believe that as humans, we should never cease to make an impact in the lives of others wherever we find ourselves or whatever we are doing. This appointment restates the fact that there is still a lot of ground to be covered,”"
"I have a father who is very liberal. I had an upbringing of becoming an independent person who makes decisions on his or her own, knowing full well everything that one does has consequences One should be responsible enough to stand by it."
"I sincerely don’t think there is any industry in the world where sex for a job doesn’t come up. So, Nollywood isn’t an exception"
"I guess sometimes when you have this burning desire that makes you lack concentration in every other thing and guarantees you fulfilment and happiness, you get to take it and not look back, that is what acting is for me."
"I never really wanted to be a celebrity. I am here because this is where my heart is. So, when it got really bad, I was like maybe I should just go and do something else, maybe I should just quit. But then, my husband always encouraged me and I picked the pieces together again and continued."
"“Be very patient and consistent. Be hard working, humble and never for any reason stop believing in yourself."
"I don’t understand why we have to get to the point of violence of any kind, be it battering, emotional, financial, psychological, before making a move. I have never understood why loved ones get to that point and why the parties involved remain in abusive relationship when it is obvious it can have a fatal end, even if it doesn’t lead to death, depression and isolation, it leads to mental breakdown. I strongly believe any form of domestic violence against both women and men is unacceptable, should be frowned at and the signs should be addressed on time. Victims should understand their priority is their happiness and safety and they owe it to themselves to walk out alive while they still have their heads on their shoulders instead of bothering themselves on what the society will say; walk out and quit when you still can. The good thing is that these days, even the society frowns at it and the law now has agencies to handle cases so they should reach out on time and save themselves from a fatal end."
"My advice for them is always to be sure what they want and then go for it. They should realise they can be anything they want and have no limitations, except that which they create themselves. Life isn’t as easy as a lot of people make it look like. It takes a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, dedication, determination, discipline, consistency, persistency, and focus to get there, so they should be ready to work extremely hard and know that it will never come easy. But the trick is to never give up, to trust the process, believe in themselves and their dreams, no matter how impossible it looks, keep pushing and to not put their trust in people and putting all their hopes in believing someone will help them fasttrack their dreams. No one owes you anything, so don’t hand your life to anyone. Take control, trust and believe in yourself, thank God for the internet and even if you don’t have money to go train yourself, you can read and watch videos on line. read, read and never stop reading and remain focused."
"What are my dreams? To find fulfilment in all I do and be extremely happy in life."
"I want to be a force to reckon with not just as an actor but also as a producer. I want to do quality stuff and be an employer of labour so that I can change perceptions people have about the industry."
"A person focused on achieving his/her goals will find life more fulfilling. Keep glowing."
"The only one standing in your way is you. Go for what you want at full speed, no hesitation, no questions."
"You don't have to leave before you are forgotten."
"Life is perspective, 2 pieces."
"Children are not asked to be born so when you have them, you must take care of them."
"I believe that this (acting) is what God ordained me to do and that is why I am still relevant. I am very sure that if I had towed a different career path I would have been forgotten by now"
"It’s not all about just getting married. To me marriage is worthless."
"It’s kind of makes it like someone is trying to choke me. I need my space, I don’t want nobody choking my life."
"Americans do not make films to please Nigeria and I will not make a film to please Americans. That is my style."
"The path to true happiness is following one’s dreams and living out your “Ikigai”. Ikigai is a Japanese term that advocates doing something you love, that has an impact on the world and also serves a bigger purpose."
"Knowledge is power, as is experience."
"I strongly believe that unity is the way forward and is required for the world to be a better place."
"What I have learned from this is addressing problems and challenges with your innate nature and authenticity is in fact as effective if not more."
"A smile, a gentle demeanour and a kind word coupled with confidence, and persistence can take you as far as you need to go. A leader can take many forms, aggression is not always the answer."
"Work hard, stay positive, do some good, walk your own path and keep persisting. You will definitely see the fruits of your labour."
"Give Gratitude. Start a gratitude journal. Write ten things you are grateful for everyday. Don’t stop. Even when things get better, which they most certainly will, keep the gratitude going. What you appreciate appreciates."
"You may be religious yet very carnal….but once you are spiritual, you see things from divine point of view."
"I have tried as much as possible to maintain a standard professionally. I don’t go below that standard, instead, I go higher. So with such mindset on your job, everything comes out with a different higher or better result. So it is difficult to pick."
"The hallmark of a good leader is to groom other leaders."
"Every first dream will not be a dream for much longer."
"This discovery fueled my determination to create and personally finance a committee for Nigerian films to compete at this prestigious level of international cinema."
"The Nigerian film industry possesses immense potential and talents, and I believe that with continued dedication and cooperation, it will undoubtedly reach new heights"
"I was taught by my mother that every good thing comes with challenges, I have to work my way up the ladder."
"Stage is something that has been there and will continue to be there."
"We know the African continent presents brilliant creatives and talent and I’m so excited for the rest of the world to enjoy our distinct voices."
"Many people are just doing business, and the thing about doing business is that people don’t care about artistic integrity, they just want to make money."
"The thing with stage is, the stage does not have a quick turnaround.”"
"Gone are the days when you say you want male or female. All genders are children. If you are fortunate to be blessed with one, be thankful to God. Any one you are given, appreciate it."
"It is the bargaining power of individuals that determines what they are paid."
"You just have to be very good at what you do."
"Everyday is memorable to me because I live each day as if I’m not going to wake up the next day."
"Remember, once a boxer always a boxer."
"Footballers and musicians make more money than actors. Actors are the least paid."
"If you’re into anything and nobody is appreciating you it’s like you’re not doing anything. But so far you have people around you, appreciating your work, it inspires you to forge ahead."
"There is no way you live and won’t have one or two negative stories to tell. But one thing about me is that so far I have overcome any"
"We don’t keep records of our history and this is a sad reality of who we are."
"Mothers took charge of everything but today women don’t want that kind of responsibility. Hence, it is affecting marriages."
"An actor or actress, has to find that special person. It is not love that will bond you. Forget love, love dies. What sustains the marriage is companionship."
"We should not glorify people while they are dead; do that while the person is alive. I hope we can learn from that and show more love to each other."
"All you need is your talent and God’s grace."
"My aim is to excel at whatever I do."
"Baby Blues was that project I went into and it felt like I wasn’t prepared for the depth of its discovery.There was always something to learn."
"Maturity has a lot to do with the mind and intelligent."
"It gets better as I get older, just like good wine."
"If there is poverty anywhere, anything can happen."
"Everybody is just thinking about how to survive and has thrown caution to the wind."
"The government really doesn’t need you, they need you to cover their fraud."
"Whatever it is, you keep working on things. You keep working things out. You are not going to give up on something you love."
"If you have to go bald, you go bald. If you have to carry warts on your face, you carry warts! Your body doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to the craft. That’s why you’ll never see such actors in serious projects. Producers and directors know how to sift the wheat from the chaff.Who cares about your good looks? People are paying for the characters they can relate with."
"In every film, there is a lesson to be learned."
"Religion is a thing even God has a problem with. We’re subjected to the servitude of our fellow men in the name of spirituality."
"What that means is that you want to do everything right. Anything worth doing is worth doing well."
"There is a saying that “A man that stops training or educating himself will soon become an illiterate”. So, you need to keep on learning because learning does not stop."
"The product is a function of people that have worked on it."
"It’s impossible to remain static in this world of technology. You’ve to keep moving. Even, if you’re not being pursued, you have to force yourself out of a particular spot. You have to move from good to better and better to best"
"And business like they say, getting to the top is not the major problem but retaining your top position."
"African storytelling is unique because it preserves, interprets, and passes on culture."
"You have to sacrifice everything to get what you want in life."
"No, they call me TK mostly because when I'm working it is what people call me. I want people to be free with me because that way I get the best out of them."
"My films are hits because I respect my audience. My name and reputation are all I have. There is a standard below which I cannot perform. It takes time and consistency for an audience to trust you."
"I believe the secret to creative film-making is in books. That is why I tell young people to read as much as they can. It is a pity that Nigerians don’t like to read."
"When people see me now they think, “These ones are lucky.” They had no idea what I went through."
"As a thespian, one had to be grounded in every area."
"You don’t have to produce a programme for the whole world. You should have your target. Mine is for the intellectuals and if they are enjoying it, then that works for me."
"As an actor, you don’t need a big role to act well."
"Focus on your dreams and aspirations and what you believe in. You don’t need to be a Jack of all trade and master of none. You should know that you are not going to start making money or become a don in a jiffy."
"When you do not call for help, how will they know you are sick?"
"If you allow the train to leave you, you should not blame anyone or say you are being segregated."
"Marriage is hinged on understanding. Once you understand yourselves you will be fine. It’s not like there won’t be problems, there will be but understanding helps you resolve it."
"If you need to survive, you need to act. So, for now, I keep doing it until that time comes when I will show the world that whatever comes my way, I can do."
"In marriage, you must look out for somebody who must be ready to suffer with you and accept you for who you are."
"One thing you have to know is that a wife makes the home. But a man gets the house."
"Education is something you have that no one can take away from you. No matter how successful you are, education will make it better. As much as people accept me and my brand, I believe that the name would be bigger than this if I were educated."
"There are some things that can’t be changed and there is nothing you can do about them"
"Nothing lasts forever."
"There is something about nature—everyone has their own time. Everyone has their turn. Someone who doesn’t make it today may succeed tomorrow. When it is your time, don’t overdo things. Someone else’s time will come too."