Funke Akindele: Omotola Jalade Taunts Colleagues As She Criticises Dancing

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde Criticises Social Media Dance Trend in Film Promotion

Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, has expressed strong reservations about the increasing reliance on social media dance trends as a tool for promoting movies in Nigeria’s film industry.

Speaking during a recent appearance on TVC Entertainment, Omotola stated that she does not consider dancing a professional method of marketing films, adding that she would not engage in such practices to promote her projects.

Her comments follow similar remarks made by acclaimed filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, who recently revealed that he would also not dance to promote a movie. Afolayan further argued that box office success alone is not meaningful if filmmakers receive minimal financial returns, citing concerns over making ₦1 billion from a film while earning only ₦10 million as a producer.

Afolayan’s statements sparked widespread reactions online, particularly from popular Nollywood figures Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, whose films have recorded box office earnings exceeding ₦2.4 billion and ₦1 billion respectively.

Aligning with Afolayan’s position, Omotola emphasized that dancing should not be a mandatory part of film promotion. She explained that while she enjoys dancing occasionally, it should not become an industry requirement. According to her, filmmakers should focus on producing quality content and adopt more professional and structured promotional strategies.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t be dancing to market or promote my movie. It’s not professional. I’ve done the movie, now I just have to go around and promote it,” she said.

Omotola, who currently splits her time between Nigeria and the United States, made the remarks ahead of her forthcoming cinema project, Mother’s Love, scheduled for release on March 6, 2026.

Her comments have since generated intense debate across social media platforms, with industry stakeholders and fans divided over the role of modern digital trends in Nollywood film marketing.