Veteran Actor Kanayo Explains How YouTube Helped Nollywood Stars Break Free From Film Marketers

Kanayo O. Kanayo 

Renowned Nollywood icon Kanayo O. Kanayo has revealed how digital platforms like YouTube liberated the Nigerian film industry from the grip of powerful movie marketers who once dictated actors’ careers.

Speaking on The Honest Bunch podcast, Kanayo recounted an era when influential marketers, doubling as executive producers, imposed harsh restrictions on performers, often blacklisting them without justification.

He explained that these marketers would routinely ban up to a dozen actors annually, citing ambiguous reasons like “unprofessional behavior” while denying them any opportunity to appeal.

The veteran actor disclosed that the marketers’ primary goal was maintaining absolute control—preventing actors from self-promotion or venturing into film distribution themselves.

Kanayo shared how actors faced exorbitant ₦500,000 fines if they attempted to become marketers, an astronomical sum when entire movie budgets were barely ₦800,000.

This oppressive system left many performers financially shackled and creatively stifled for years.

The industry’s transformation began, Kanayo noted, with the rise of YouTube and digital streaming, which empowered actors to connect directly with audiences and break free from the marketers’ monopoly.