Veteran actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde has declared she will not dance on social media to promote her forthcoming cinema release, describing such marketing methods as unprofessional when they become obligatory rather than voluntary.
Speaking during an interview with TVC E Splash on Tuesday while promoting her new film Mother’s Love scheduled for cinema release on 6 March, the 47 year old actress said there was nothing wrong with dancing but stressed she did not believe it should be used as a strategy to promote a movie.
Jalade Ekeinde explained her resistance stems from the pressure placed on actors to perform viral content rather than focus on traditional promotional activities. She emphasized that dancing should emerge from spontaneous enjoyment rather than marketing necessity.
The actress clarified her responsibilities end with delivering quality performances and participating in standard press engagements. She argued that marketing and distribution should be handled by professionals trained in those fields.
Her comments follow filmmaker Kunle Afolayan’s statement at the Lagos Business of Film Summit that he would not resort to dancing to promote a film. Afolayan described the relentless demands of constant content creation required for modern film promotion as unsustainable.
Actress Funke Akindele responded to those remarks, saying she was not standing in the way of anyone’s progress and stressing that the sky is wide enough for everyone to fly. Afolayan later clarified his comments, explaining they were not directed at Akindele and adding he held no personal issues with the actress.
Jalade Ekeinde also criticized the growing tendency among filmmakers to cast untrained individuals solely based on their social media followings, saying this practice had led professional actors to miss out on job opportunities.
She said the practice persists because filmmakers attempt to cut costs by assigning actors additional roles including marketing their productions. The actress stated this approach has resulted in declining performance standards and blurred professional boundaries.
Jalade Ekeinde emphasized the industry fails to respect the time and experience dedicated to the craft, noting this problem extends beyond entertainment into other professions across Nigeria.
The debate over promotional methods has intensified following record breaking box office performances by Nigerian films. Akindele’s Behind the Scenes has grossed 2.4 billion naira while Toyin Abraham’s Oversabi Aunty crossed the one billion naira mark.
