Omoni Oboli, a well-known actress and filmmaker, recently shared the story of her early struggles in the Nigerian film industry, revealing how she traded her scripts for acting roles when starting her career.

In a candid interview on Radionow FM, she opened up about the challenges she faced and what eventually inspired her shift from acting to directing.

Omoni explained that in the beginning, she was so eager to be part of the industry that she often accepted acting roles in exchange for her written scripts, instead of being paid.

Reflecting on those early experiences, she shared, “I would offer my scripts in return for a role in the movie.

I would tell them, don’t worry about paying me, just give me a part in the film.”

While this allowed her to secure acting jobs, she soon noticed that the final productions were not aligning with her creative vision.

As a screenwriter, Omoni described how she visualized the stories she wrote in vivid detail.

However, after watching the finished movies, she realized that the films often looked very different from what she had imagined.

She acknowledged that each director has their unique style, saying, “It’s not that the movies weren’t good, but no two directors will bring a script to life in the same way.”

This gap between her vision and the final product fueled her desire to take control of the stories she was creating.

Omoni’s determination to preserve the authenticity of her scripts pushed her to become a director herself.

She realized that the only way to ensure her stories had her personal touch was to oversee the filmmaking process from start to finish.

“If my stories are going to have my DNA, then I have to be the one directing them,” she explained.

Though the thought of transitioning from actress to director was daunting, Omoni’s confidence in her abilities propelled her forward.

She recounted telling herself, “Warri no dey carry last,” a popular saying in Nigerian Pidgin that means people from Warri, her hometown, never back down from a challenge.

This motivated her to believe that she could succeed as a director. Determined to improve her skills, Omoni began studying the directors she worked with while on set, closely observing their techniques.

In addition to learning through observation, she recognized the need for formal training.

To strengthen her craft, Omoni enrolled in a short course at the prestigious New York Film Academy, where she gained deeper insights into the world of directing.

Her journey from trading scripts for acting roles to becoming a successful director is a testament to her resilience and dedication to mastering her craft.