In an interview on the Nollywood “on Radio podcast”, Veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde disclosed that it was the persistent encouragement of her colleague, Ruth Kadiri, that propelled her into the world of YouTube filmmaking.
The 47-year-old screen legend recounted that the conversation took place in 2023 while she was on vacation. It was during this break that Kadiri opened her eyes to the digital revolution transforming the film industry.
“I came on vacation in 2023, and Ruth called me. She said, ‘Mama, do you know what’s going on? There’s a whole revolution with YouTube.’ She showed me numbers and everything,” Omotola said.
Kadiri reportedly championed YouTube as a platform that offers creators unparalleled control over their work. Omotola added, “She told me, ‘You can do what you want on YouTube, but I think you should get in on this. You would do very well.’ She didn’t let me rest.
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“That girl gave me no peace of mind. So I called my producer and said, ‘Let’s just try something.’ We shot the first project in four days and used the fifth day for cleanup. I surprised myself. I was thankful to her for giving me the courage to try.”
The success of the experiment inspired her to produce the feature film Mother’s Love, which later earned a spot at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The actress revealed that the project was born from a moment of ambitious pressure, planned and shot in under two weeks.
“It took long to release because I was scared people might laugh at me or say it wasn’t good enough.” Ultimately, she pushed through the self-doubt, launching a new chapter in her career.
