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Omotola celebrates 20 years in Nollywood

One of Nigeria’s most accomplished Nollywood actresses,
Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde, has just celebrated 20 years on the
screen, CHUX OHAI writes
Unknown to many movie fans, popular screen actress,
Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde quietly celebrated 20 years in
Nollywood in her Lagos home recently.
And to show just how modest and kind hearted she is, she
chose to celebrate with widows and orphans.
As part of the occasion, the actress hosted her annual ‘Give
and Let Give’ party – an event in which gifts were handed out
to the less priviledged.
Once nominated by TIME magazine as one of 100 most
influential women in the world, Jolade-Ekeinde has, no
doubt, come a long way in the Nigerian film industry.
From being a pimply young actress under the close
supervision of the likes of producer, Zeb Ejiro, she has
moved up the ladder in Nollywood to become one of the
most sought-after and respected members of the Thespian
family in the country.
Jolade-Ekeinde has, no doubt, had a chequered career in
Nollywood. Like many other actors and actresses, she has
had her fair share of challenges. At a time Nollywood was
virtually an all-comers affair and run by traders, who were
largely driven by plain commercial interests and had very
little regard for professionalism; she had found herself
making some sacrifices for the future of the industry.
At a point in her career, a powerful cabal comprising some
movie marketers and distributors had slammed the actress
and a few others with a ban. As punishment for refusing to
bow to the wishes of the almighty marketers, who virtually
held the fledgling film industry in a vice grip, they made her
to wait for almost three years before she could return to the
screen.
The actress said, in a recent interview with Encomium
magazine – a Lagos-based tabloid – that she had to stick her
neck out for Nollywood because of an urgent need to make
some changes in the industry.
“Personally, I was fighting for all movie artistes, I wasn’t
fighting for myself alone. I was fighting alongside many
other colleagues of mine. They just decided in those days
that we’re getting too powerful and demanding too much,”
she was quoted as saying.
Even now, it seems that Jolade-Ekeinde is not done with
making sacrifices and giving Nollywood a deserving push in
her own little way. There is an indication that she is currently
working behind the scenes to help drive the expected
transition from cheap home video films to big budget
movies that conform with global standards.
The actress was recently overheard telling some associates
that she had decided to wash her hands off home videos
and would play for higher stakes, including high standards
for Nollywood, a higher standard of living for actors and
actresses, a code conduct for older and incoming artistes, as
well as good work ethics.
What this means is that this diva may decide to stay away
from the screen if the present conditions fail to improve. If
this is true, then movie fans had better brace themselves for
her absence.
With many appearances in the movies – over 200 in all
between ‘Venom of justice’ and ‘Ije’ – Jolade-Ekeinde has
certainly carved a niche for herself in Nollywood. While
receiving an award in Cyprus last year, she dedicated it to
her husband, Captain Matthew Ekeinde who she has
repeatedly described as very supportive.