Kanayo O. Kanayo Tells Ghanaian Actors Their Pay Comparisons Are “Not Their Business”
Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has told some Ghanaian actors to stop asking for the same fees paid to Nigerian stars on joint film productions. The actor, popularly called KOK, made the remarks shortly after arriving in Accra, Ghana, for a new movie project, according to Vanguard.
What Kanayo said
Speaking to a Ghanaian media outlet, Kanayo claimed that some Ghanaian actors have developed a habit of pressuring producers to pay them the same amount as visiting Nigerian actors when both appear in the same movie. He recalled that he was among the founding figures of Nollywood, and said it is unreasonable for a younger actor to expect an identical fee when a producer invites him to work in Ghana.
He argued that the film industry has a hierarchy shaped by experience, career history and standing. Actors, he said, should negotiate based on their own worth rather than compare themselves with colleagues. In his words: “Don’t equate yourself with me.”
He also said the pay of Nigerian actors should not concern others. Ghanaian actors, in his view, should negotiate their own fees, collect them and have peace. He ended with a warning that he would “invoke Amadioha”, a reference to the traditional Igbo deity associated with thunder and justice.
Claims about specific actors
Kanayo said the issue also came up on the Ghanaian production he is about to start. He said he was ready to name the actors allegedly involved but was persuaded not to. No names have been given, and in the reports we reviewed, no Ghanaian actor had publicly responded.
Who else is involved
Kemi Filani News reports that Kanayo is in Ghana with Patience Ozokwor and other actors. The Ghana Report links his remarks to LilWin’s latest project, which has brought several prominent Nollywood actors together.
Legit.ng also reports that Ozokwor joined the conversation. It says she pointed out that some Ghanaian actors who travelled to Nigeria for film roles have earned as much as $10,000, suggesting that well-paid cross-border opportunities do not flow in only one direction.
Why pay gaps spark debate
Nigerian stars have been cast in Ghanaian productions for years, and pay differences between visiting and local actors have come up before in the Ghana movie scene, according to Creebhills. Kanayo’s position is that experience, not nationality, should set the price.
The issue touches a familiar debate. Some people believe equal work should earn equal pay, while others argue that fees reflect market value, reputation and the audience a star can bring to a film.
What to watch
None of the reports we reviewed disclosed actual fees, so the claims about demands for equal pay are Kanayo’s own account and have not been independently verified. The reaction will depend on whether Ghanaian actors, producers or industry groups respond publicly.
We will update this story if they do.
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