By Florencemary Nwabueze
The Actors Guild of Nigeria-AGN has officially welcomed 42 new actors into its fold following the successful completion of a training programme titled “Refueling and Redefining Your Acting Skills.”
The event, stated on Monday 25th May at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. The training featured lectures from prominent Nollywood figures, who focused on the fundamentals of acting and the importance of discipline in the industry.
In a letter addressed to the gathering, the National President of the AGN, Alhaji Abubakar Yakubu Sanusi, expressed profound joy over the initiative, particularly commending the Lagos chapter.
“The creative industry across the world is evolving rapidly. The standards are changing. The expectations are higher. The opportunities are broader. Today’s actors must be more than talented; they must be prepared, versatile, disciplined, informed, and globally competitive,” Sanusi said.
He added that his administration's focus remains continuous empowerment and professional development of members. "We are committed to creating opportunities that educate, elevate, inspire, and reposition our actors for greater impact both locally and internationally. This training programme represents our unwavering commitment to invest in human capital, nurturing creativity and building a new generation of actors who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best talents anywhere in the world.”
Addressing the new actors, the Acting Chairman of the AGN Lagos chapter, Funmilayo Mary Edward, underscored the guild’s role. “The guild’s duty is to protect actors—protect the interests of actors. For example, a production calls you to shoot and you are cheated—they didn’t pay you—we will fight for you. It’s either you are paid or the movie will not come out. That is the essence of the guild....You made it, and you will be a star one day,” she said.
She further taught the new actors how to create AI videos on YouTube. A move she believes will help actors to earn money even if they don't get movie roles in six months.
During the training, veteran actor Segun Arinze defined acting as: “the truthful expression of human emotion and behaviour within imagined circumstances. Great acting is not merely pretending; it is the disciplined art of creating believable life on stage or screen. An actor’s great tools are voice, speech, diction, body, imagination, emotion, and observation.”
Saidi Balogun advised the actors to find their niche. “When president Bola Ahmed Tinubu wanted to appoint me for a role in the country, he could have chosen me as Minister of Petroleum, but I know I am an actor, so I chose the education sector. I chose where I will make impact and history. Going into acting is good, but first find your niche. Some of you can fit better into videoing, holding the camera, etc.,” he said.
Bukky Ogunnote stressed the importance of ethics and respect. “In every industry, you must know ethics in order to succeed. When you finally start getting roles and become a star, don’t feel too big to respect the people before you or elders in your midst. Always come early to set. This is why after a movie some actors don’t get called back. It is because of indiscipline.”
Fred Amata highlighted the actor-director relationship, stating, “The relationship between a director and an actor is the single most important determinant of whether a production succeeds or fails. When director and actor are not in harmony, no amount of money can save that production "
Superintendent of Police, SP Chidi Okoye addressed the legal implications of using police uniforms in movies and the dangers of portraying unrealistic ideas that could incite violence.
Actor Keppy Ekpenyong emphasised consistency, naturalness, and continuous practice before a movie shoot.
The event concluded on Friday with the presentation of training certificates & the formal registration of all 42 participants into the Actors Guild of Nigeria, and the presentation of Award to prominent Nollywood actors and members of the management boards.