Nollywood veteran Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has credited actress and filmmaker Ruth Kadiri for inspiring her to venture into YouTube filmmaking.
Speaking on the Nollywood on Radio podcast, Omotola revealed that Kadiri persistently encouraged her to join the platform during a vacation in 2023, emphasizing its creative potential and global reach.
“I came on vacation in 2023, and Ruth called me. She said, ‘Mama, do you know what’s going on? There’s a whole revolution with YouTube.’ She showed me numbers and everything,” Omotola recalled.
Kadiri reportedly described YouTube as a “phenomenal platform” that gives filmmakers full control over their work.
“She told me, ‘You can do what you want on YouTube, but I think you should get in on this. You would do very well.’ She didn’t let me rest,” Omotola said with a laugh.
Eventually, Omotola decided to take the plunge.
“That girl gave me no peace of mind. So I called my producer and said, ‘Let’s just try something.’ We shot the first project in four days and used the fifth day for cleanup. I surprised myself. I was thankful to her for giving me the courage to try.”
The success of her debut YouTube short film paved the way for Mother’s Love, a feature-length project that went on to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
“Mother’s Love came because I was under pressure. I just told my producer, ‘What if we did a feature film?’ and that was it. We started planning immediately and shot it in less than two weeks,” she revealed.
Despite her achievements, Omotola admitted she initially struggled with self-doubt.
“It took long to release because I was scared people might laugh at me or say it wasn’t good enough,” she confessed.
Omotola’s foray into YouTube filmmaking underscores a growing movement among Nollywood creators who are embracing the platform for its creative freedom, independence, and international visibility.
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