A recent disclosure by veteran actor Mustapha Bakare Otolo has sent ripples through the Nollywood community, bringing to light a significant and often overlooked pay gap between the industry’s most celebrated stars and its established, experienced veterans. Otolo, in a widely circulated online interview, specifically cited his colleague, the highly versatile actor Ibrahim Chatta, as commanding an impressive N5 million for a single movie role, effectively positioning him at the pinnacle of the industry’s current pay scale.

Otolo's comments were made in the context of explaining the considerable financial obstacles that veteran actors encounter when endeavoring to produce films that meet cinema-quality standards. He painted a vivid picture of the stark earning disparity prevalent within Nollywood, noting that while an actor of Chatta's stature can effortlessly demand millions for his appearances, many seasoned and respected actors are frequently offered fees ranging only between N250,000 and N300,000 for their roles.

Emphasizing the magnitude of this difference, Otolo stated, “When Ibrahim Chatta appears on a movie set, he has been paid N5 million. That’s his current price.” He further elaborated on Chatta’s market value, adding, “He is the highest-paid actor presently and can do up to 20 jobs in a month. I brought him to my movie, ‘Jigi,’ set in Ogbomoso recently.” This direct comparison starkly contrasts with the reality faced by many of Otolo's peers.

He continued to highlight this disparity, stating, “You can’t compare him to some of us who are being paid between N250,000 – N300,000 and appear in just one or two films in a month. This is the core reason it’s difficult for some veterans to produce cinema movies.” This financial imbalance, therefore, not only affects the individual livelihoods of veteran actors but also severely limits their capacity to contribute to the industry's artistic and production quality by undertaking larger, more ambitious projects.

The impactful disclosure by Mustapha Bakare Otolo has since ignited widespread discussion and debate across various platforms. It effectively underscores the evolving economic dynamics within Nollywood, where the potent combination of star power and prevailing market demand is actively shaping and reinforcing new financial hierarchies, thereby creating significant discrepancies in earnings and opportunities throughout the industry.