Tuesday February 10, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has said Nigeria needs leaders who are willing to sacrifice everything for the nation if real progress must happen.
The award-winning actress made the remark during a recent interview on Rubbin’ Minds, where she spoke on politics, activism and her three decades in the entertainment industry.
Weighing in on Nigeria’s political direction ahead of future elections, she said the country’s core problem is leadership, not the people.
“Until we find leaders in Nigeria who are ready to die for this country, we haven’t started,” she said.
She explained that her comment was not a call for violence but for courage and sacrifice in public service.
“It’s a mindset. You can’t be afraid, and you can’t be materialistic. But I pray that tribalism will not be on the table in this election. Sadly, people are still doing this when there are bigger issues.”
Speaking on her experience during the 2020 EndSARS protests, the actress revealed that the movement came at a personal cost. She said the threats she received were unlike anything she had encountered before in her career.
“I am used to death threats; I have received them many times. But I have never seen anything like what happened during #EndSARS. My kids started getting death threats. That was when it became weird.”
According to her, she was actively involved in the protests both on the streets and at the international level.
“I was on the streets. I was doing international advocacy. I spoke with CNN, engaged with international NGOs and embassies.”
However, she said the situation escalated when individuals began searching for her physically.
“When people started coming physically to my home and place of work to look for me, I knew I had to worry about other people and not just myself.”
The 48-year-old actress explained that she later shifted from street demonstrations to structured advocacy in order to protect her family.
Beyond politics and activism, Omotola also reflected on her 32 year journey in entertainment. She said there were few regrets, except perhaps stepping away from music too soon.
“No, I’ll do everything just the same. Well, maybe I would do more of my music. That’s the only thing that sometimes I go, okay, I shouldn’t have stopped. I should have just continued, because I started really strong”.
She explained that Nollywood’s demanding pace made it difficult to balance both careers.
“I think I just got carried away by Nollywood. You know, Nollywood is very intense,” she said.
Recalling her music breakthrough, she said her second album opened international doors.
“I went, did my album. It was amazing. I followed up with a second album. That’s the one that got signed to Universal Studios in Hollywood. That’s when I got invited to the Grammys. It was great. It was an international standard.”
She admitted that she did not fully understand how to manage both paths at the time.
“If I understood it the way I understand it now, I would have gone away from Nollywood for a minute for that alone. At the time, I hadn’t mastered that balance. They wanted me to stay back in LA to continue my musical career, but I came back and continued my movies and didn’t have time again.”
Addressing claims that criticism may have influenced her decisions, she said public opinion has never dictated her choices.
“No, no, talks never affect me. I understand the game and that there are various voices and opinions,” she said.
On her longevity in the industry, she credited constant reinvention and staying grounded.
“When we started in 1995, it wasn’t really an industry. We had to learn quickly, adapt and observe what was happening in more exposed climes and ask how we could better what we do here to meet international standards.”
“It’s about reinventing yourself, constantly finding your foundation and staying rooted to it. I don’t go with trends. I don’t do things to please people. I’m very true to my core. In the long run, people get to know you, and whatever you represent will shine through,” she added.
She also spoke about her drive and refusal to dwell on achievements.
“Every time I achieve something, I don’t sit down and go, ‘yay.’ I say thank God, and then I ask, ‘What next?’ That’s what keeps me inspired,” the 48 year old actress said.
On the state of Nollywood, she dismissed the idea that filmmakers are afraid to attempt ambitious projects, insisting funding remains the major barrier.
“I don’t think Nigerian filmmakers are afraid to tell any story. The problem is we don’t have finance, we don’t have money, and we don’t have enough investment,” she said.
“So naturally, it looks like fear, because you don’t want to do stuff and look funny doing it. We’ve done action films on a low scale because it requires a lot of money.”
(TheGuardian)