Talent manager Toyosi Etim-Effiong says Nollywood actors should have more opportunities to share in a film’s commercial success after receiving their initial acting fee. Her proposal puts the negotiations around a production, rather than only the performance on screen, at the centre of the discussion.
Speaking at Moonshot 2026 in Lagos, the That Good Media founder said some industry participants were already negotiating additional payments linked to a film’s performance. She wants such arrangements to become more common and sees professional managers as important to making them work.
A payment for acting and a share of later earnings serve different purposes. An upfront fee pays for agreed work. A performance-linked payment depends on an additional agreement and whatever conditions it contains. A popular film does not, by itself, mean every performer automatically receives more money.
The detail matters as much as the headline percentage. A deal needs clarity about which earnings count, when payments become due, how results will be reported and which costs are taken into account. Without that clarity, two parties can use the same word, profit, while expecting different outcomes.
For an actor, the commercial question is also about timing. A guaranteed fee and a possible future payment are not interchangeable. Negotiations need to consider the work required now, the uncertainty of later earnings and whether the performer can obtain reliable information about the production’s results.
Etim-Effiong also argued that creative industries need people trained to turn talent into sustainable careers. Her emphasis on managers extends the conversation beyond finding the next role: representation can involve assessing offers, organising opportunities and helping a creative understand the business attached to their work.
The discussion is about negotiated arrangements, not a newly announced industry-wide payment rule. There is no single deal that will suit every production or performer. The useful next question is whether more projects can make their terms clear enough for everyone to understand what commercial success would actually pay.