Paid Nollywood actors refuse to promote producer’s N80m film

Nollywood producer Dabby Chimere has spoken out about difficulties recovering her investment in the film Adanne, which she released on the virtual cinema platform Spixie.

In a video posted on Instagram around February 8, 2026, Chimere stated there is no integrity in Nollywood and accused some actors of failing to promote the movie on their social media platforms. She said she paid actors millions of naira and had them sign contracts that included promotion obligations, but many did not follow through after receiving payment.

Chimere mentioned spending over N80 million on the movie’s budget to bring it to Spixie. She expressed frustration that the lack of promotion from the cast has made it hard to break even or see returns on the project. In her post, she emphasised: “If I’m not big enough, don’t take my money” and urged actors not to accept contracts if they will not fulfil promotion duties, as it affects producers’ mental health and finances.

She made exceptions for actors IK Ogbonna, who agreed to shoot promotional content, and Alex Ekubo, who has been offline for over a year. The film features a cast including Lilly Afe, Shaffy Bello, Symply Tacha, and others. It is available for viewing at adanne.spixie.net.

Nollywood filmmaker Dabby Chimere (also known as Ms DABBY) is a prolific producer under her company Dabz Movie Productions. She has produced over 50 films to date, with many released on platforms like Prime Video, YouTube (via DABBY CHIMERE TV), and virtual cinemas. Other notable works include ‘Head Over Bills’ (2022, available on Prime Video) – Often cited as one of her previous major releases, Rush Hour (available on Prime Video), Atarodo (2021), Enough (2020), Othello Syndrome (2018), among others.

The post received over 2,600 likes and 300 comments, with many expressing sympathy for Chimere and criticising the actors’ actions. Some commenters called for better practices in the industry, while others suggested legal action if contracts were breached. The incident has sparked discussions about the role of actors in promoting films they appear in, especially when paid specifically for it.