Veteran Nigerian movie marketer Akeem Olatunji Balogun, known as Olasco Films, has publicly rejected allegations of financial misconduct and industry blacklisting made by two actors, labelling them “ingrates.”
The dispute emerges from separate accusations by actors Okunnu and Austin Emmanuel, who have both struggled with prominent screen roles in recent years. Okunnu recently claimed in an interview that Olasco Films withheld all profits from a movie he acted in 16 years ago, stating, “I haven’t forgiven Olasco.” This follows earlier complaints from Austin Emmanuel, who accused Olasco Films and associated producer Toymax Films of blacklisting him, and also made a personal allegation against Toymax regarding a past relationship.
In a recorded interview with actor Tunde Ola-Yusuf, Olasco Films directly addressed the claims. Regarding Okunnu, he stated he provided N2 million for the 16-year-old production, a sum he noted far exceeded the estimated production cost of N700,000 to N1 million at the time. “Okunnu is like a blind man using a walking stick, and when he regained his sight, he threw away the walking stick that was guiding him when he was blind,” Olasco said, dismissing the suggestion that Okunnu worked without pay.
On Austin Emmanuel, Olasco claimed he assisted in promoting the film that became the actor’s breakthrough, asserting, “Austin Emmanuel wants to trend with my name… he’s an ingrate.”
The public clash underscores persistent tensions within Nigeria’s film industry, often referred to as Nollywood, where informal agreements and long-term professional relationships can become sources of contention. Both actors’ careers have been less active in recent years, adding a layer of professional frustration to their accusations. Olasco Films, a longstanding and influential figure in movie distribution and marketing, has not indicated any intention to pursue legal action, keeping the dispute in the realm of public relations and personal allegation. The situation highlights the challenges of documentation and remuneration in a sector where many historical deals were not formally contracted.
