Kanayo O. Kanayo Criticizes Ghanaian Actors Demanding Equal Pay with Nigerian Counterparts

Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has spoken out against Ghanaian actors who demand the same appearance fees as their Nigerian counterparts before agreeing to appear in joint film projects. Speaking to Ghanaian media shortly after arriving in Accra for a new film production, Kanayo claimed that some local stars routinely insist that producers match the rates paid to top Nigerian actors, a practice he said has even disrupted the specific project he was in the country to shoot. "I am KOK. I was among the founding fathers. You now wake up in Ghana…They call KOK to come and act in Ghana; you Ghanaian boy, will now insist they pay you the same fees as me. It happens even up to today. There is hierarchy even in heaven. In the movie industry, there is hierarchy," Kanayo said. He advised Ghanaian actors to negotiate their own fees rather than comparing themselves to Nigerian actors. "Negotiate what you want to be paid. Don't equate yourself with me," he stated. "Tell your Ghanaian brothers and sisters, it is not your business what they pay Nigerian actors. Go and negotiate your own, receive it and go and rest, and then you will have peace in your life; otherwise, I will invoke Amadioha." The actor initially threatened to publicly name the Ghanaian actors involved in making these financial demands, but he ultimately withheld their identities after colleagues at the scene persuaded him not to disclose them. Kanayo, a founding figure in Nollywood, is in Accra for a new film project. His remarks highlight ongoing tensions over pay disparities in cross-border film productions between Nigeria and Ghana.