The Rise of Female Producers and the Decline of “Sex-for-Role” in Nollywood
By Matthew Eloyi
For years, one of Nollywood’s darkest open secrets was the persistent allegation of “sex for role”, the idea that desperate young actresses were often pressured into sexual relationships in exchange for opportunities in films. It was a conversation whispered in private, occasionally exposed in interviews, and fiercely debated whenever another actress hinted at exploitation within the industry.
Today, however, Nollywood appears to be undergoing a quiet but significant transformation, and women are driving much of that change.
The increasing rise of female producers, directors, and studio heads is not only reshaping storytelling in Nigerian cinema, but also gradually dismantling a power structure that many critics say enabled abuse, intimidation, and exploitation for decades.
Nollywood has always had powerful women in front of the camera, but in recent years, more women have begun taking control behind it. They are financing films, running production companies, deciding casting choices, and building creative empires that no longer depend on traditional gatekeepers. In doing so, they are changing both the economics and culture of the industry.
At the centre of this shift is Funke Akindele, arguably the most commercially successful producer in Nollywood today. Her productions, including “A Tribe Called Judah”, “Everybody Loves Jenifa”, “Finding Me”, and “Behind the Scenes”, have dominated the Nigerian box office and redefined what female-led productions can achieve commercially. Reports show her films have broken multiple revenue records in recent years, cementing her influence within the industry.
But beyond the financial success lies something more important: power redistribution.
For decades, Nollywood’s production ecosystem was largely male-dominated. Men controlled financing, casting decisions, distribution, and studio access. Young actresses entering the industry often depended on male producers, directors, or marketers to secure opportunities. That imbalance created an environment where exploitation could thrive.
The rise of female producers is slowly weakening that structure.
Today, actresses have more pathways into the industry without navigating exclusively male-controlled spaces. Female-led productions tend to attract more women into key decision-making positions such as casting directors, assistant producers, writers, costume heads, and production managers, creating environments many younger actresses now describe as safer and more professional.
It is difficult for exploitation to flourish in an industry where power is becoming more decentralised and where women increasingly control access to opportunities.
Toyin Abraham is another example of this transformation. Through productions such as Oversabi Aunty and Iyalode, she has emerged as one of Nollywood’s strongest commercial forces. Oversabi Aunty reportedly crossed the ₦1 billion mark, making it one of the industry’s biggest female-led successes.
Then there is Jade Osiberu, whose films like Gangs of Lagos, Brotherhood, and Isoken helped position Nollywood for international streaming platforms. Her influence represents a different type of power shift, one focused on global storytelling, structured filmmaking, and professional production culture.
Mo Abudu has also played a critical role through EbonyLife Media, helping create large-scale productions that have expanded opportunities for women both on and off screen. Her projects, alongside collaborations with Netflix and international studios, helped professionalise parts of Nollywood previously criticised for informality and lack of structure.
Others such as Biodun Stephen, Kemi Adetiba, Omoni Oboli, Ini Edo, and Bolanle Austen-Peters have equally strengthened the visibility of women behind the camera.
This does not mean the problem of exploitation has disappeared entirely. Nollywood, like many global entertainment industries, still struggles with power imbalance, favoritism, and allegations of misconduct. The entertainment industry worldwide, from Hollywood to Bollywood, continues to confront questions around abuse of authority.
However, the difference in Nollywood today is that young actresses increasingly have alternatives.
An aspiring actress no longer has to rely solely on one powerful male producer for survival in the industry. Social media visibility, streaming platforms, independent filmmaking, YouTube productions, and female-led studios have widened access significantly. Talent now reaches audiences directly in ways that were impossible two decades ago.
The rise of women producers has also changed the type of stories being told. More films now focus on women’s experiences, family structures, emotional complexity, career struggles, and social realities from female perspectives. That storytelling shift naturally creates more space for women creatives across the production chain.
Importantly, female producers are also proving that commercial success is no longer gendered in Nollywood. For years, there was a subtle assumption that men handled blockbuster productions while women dominated romance or “soft” storytelling. That stereotype has collapsed completely.
Female producers are now leading some of the industry’s biggest action films, cinema releases, and streaming successes.
Public conversations around Nollywood have changed because of this. Online discussions increasingly celebrate women as the industry’s strongest box office performers, with some social media users openly arguing that female producers currently “run Nollywood.”
That cultural shift is important because industries often become safer when influence becomes more distributed.
Ultimately, the growing number of female producers in Nollywood represents more than gender progress. It signals the slow dismantling of an old industry culture built around unchecked gatekeeping. Women are no longer waiting to be chosen for opportunities; they are now creating the opportunities themselves.
And in doing so, they may be achieving what years of public outrage could not by quietly reducing the environment that allowed “sex for role” allegations to thrive in the first place.