“I DON’T DO FILMS WITH LESS THAN ₦100 MILLION BUDGET” ACTOR GIDEON OKEKE BOASTS

Speaking during a podcast conversation, Okeke explained that his standard is not necessarily about how much an actor is personally paid but about the overall amount producers are prepared to invest in a project.

“I never do any film where the budget na less than 100 million,” the actor said.

Okeke also questioned whether producers working with a ₦100 million budget would choose to spend that amount on a movie primarily intended for YouTube.

“Have you taken your 100 million Naira budget to go and do YouTube film? Maybe I’ll follow you,” he said.

The actor stressed that his position should not be confused with demanding ₦100 million as his personal acting fee.

“No, no be pay well. Nothing where I do where the budget na less than 100 million,” he explained.

Okeke went even further, claiming that many of the productions audiences know him for operated with considerably larger budgets.

“All the film where you know me for, na from 300 million upwards. That’s why you see me for cinema, that’s why you see me for Netflix,” he said.

The ₦100 million and ₦300 million production figures are Okeke’s own claims and have not been independently verified for every film in his catalogue.

HIS COMMENTS SPARK A BIGGER NOLLYWOOD DEBATE

Okeke’s remarks raise a wider question about the rapidly changing economics of filmmaking in Nigeria.

Nollywood now operates across several different markets.

Major theatrical productions and films commissioned or acquired by international streaming platforms can command substantial budgets.

At the same time, Nigeria has developed a booming YouTube film industry where producers can make projects at considerably lower costs and distribute them directly to millions of viewers.

For actors, the decision to accept a project can therefore involve much more than their personal fee.

The quality of cinematography, production design, sound, locations, post production, marketing and distribution can all be affected by the overall production budget.

Okeke appears to be making the argument that the scale of investment behind a project matters to the kind of work he wants associated with his career.

But his comments are also likely to divide filmmakers.

Some will argue that a large budget does not automatically produce a good film and that strong writing, directing and performances can make lower budget productions successful.

Others may agree that Nollywood needs greater investment if Nigerian films are expected to compete consistently with major international productions.

Do you agree with Gideon Okeke?

Should established Nollywood actors reject low budget productions, or should the quality of the story matter more than the size of the budget?

VNTV