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Popular Nollywood actor Bolanle Ninolowo, also known as Maka, says his reduced presence in Nollywood movies is intentional, as he now prioritizes fatherhood, global projects, and long-term goals over constant screen time.
In a recent conversation with Adeniyi Adewoyin, Ninolowo opened up about balancing work with parenting, his growing interest in Hollywood, and why the tribal divide in Nollywood may never be erased.
Speaking about his fewer movie appearances in recent years, the actor explained:
“Well, I’m intentional about my goals and my plans in life. Movie-making is a job. It’s a part of my life. There are so many other parts of my life as well that need attention. I feel like everything is seasonal. I can’t be in everything. I have other goals and aspirations as well. I have kids, I have a family who live abroad, and I have to share my time back and forth and take care of my kids as well. So there’s a lot that I’m applying myself to. I’m not the only actor.”
Asked when he started to shift focus to other priorities, Ninolowo said it began as his children approached adulthood.
“Oh, well, my kids are going to college now, my daughter is 19, my son is 17, and I feel like that’s the most important age that I need to be present, and showing them more about life and being there for them, and making life-long decisions into the next chapter of their life. So I had to make a big sacrifice of saying, look, what’s more important now to me, thank God I made hay while the sun shone. Like you rightfully said, there was a time I was in almost all movies, you know, at that time, that was what was important to me. My kids were much younger then. Now they’re much grown. And you know, they need my attention a lot more. My legacy is my children, not the films that I make.”
Ninolowo, who recently returned from the U.S., said his trip was both professional and personal.
“Both! I’m doing some things in Hollywood as well. Now, you know, creating my mark over there, my presence there as well. I just finished the movie with Vivica Fox and Black Chyna. And I have some roles lined up as well. So I’m taking advantage while I’m dedicated to being there for my kids, as you know, I’m separated, you know, being there for my kids, well, it makes it harder, because you need that presence more, do you get? So while I’m there for them, I take that opportunity to say, Okay, let me extend my tentacles and see the things that I can do in America as well. Also, producing as well. There’s a major, major series that I have coming out soon, it’s called ‘Maka ti Japa.’ So that’s going to be one that I feel like the fans are going to love as well.”
On what the upcoming series Maka ti Japa is about, Ninolowo explained that it captures the immigrant experience through the lens of a Lagos “agbero.”
“‘Maka ti Japa,’ is talking. It’s the life of an immigrant, a Naija ‘agbero’ guy that says, look, I can go to America now. Looking at it from the area boy’s perspective, I remember when I did Picture Perfect back then, one mark that people got from that was the fact that an area boy could be responsible, an area boy could want to take care of his child and care for his child, rather than the ‘useless guy’ that they think he is. While I was abroad, I just sat down and said, look, I like to speak for the streets. I’m a man of the people. I’m on the streets, and I’ve always wanted to do this as well, which is, carry that brand and see how I can talk about the life of an agbero outside of Nigeria. So that gave birth to the ‘Maka ti Japa’ series, which we’re working on now. It’s going to come on Makanaki TV as well. It’s pretty much like a docu-series, a little addition, where you see this guy in all his encounters and the challenges of travelling America. And I also feel like this will inspire so many more people here, too.”
Responding to concerns that Nigerian films shot abroad often lack authenticity, Ninolowo explained how his series is tackling that challenge.
“I like that question. With ‘Maka ti Japa,’ one key thing is, it’s a one-man show. Maka is the actor, and I get to play Maka. So, everybody I encounter is not an actor. Maka is the actor, and I get to play Maka. I’m saying the reality of it is, if you saw a Funke Akindele, let’s say Zuby, Michael in ‘Maka Ti Japa,’ then it defeats the purpose. It’s not real anymore. We’re talking about the reality of this guy leaving Nigeria for America. So everybody he must encounter is not people you’ve ever seen before. So he’s the only actor who encounters different people.”
Ninolowo also weighed in on African representation in Hollywood and the tendency for African actors to be limited to stereotypical roles.
“I think that was probably back in the days. Now it’s different. For me, when I got casted for the role. It wasn’t because I was African or anything. I can be American if I want to, like, full-blown Yankee boy right now. And I feel like that’s one of the gifts I have in being diverse, I can switch to whatever. But I didn’t have that issue at all. And no matter how much I speak American English, you can still catch one or two accents that you will know that this guy has an accent. It wasn’t an issue at all. Like I said, I feel like that was back in the days. Now it is different.”
He said the role came through a trusted agent in the U.S.
“Yes, I have a good agent in America that does a lot of work running around for me. And she called me and said, this is up. Would you like to audition for it? I did the audition and, God, did it.”
Asked about the audition culture abroad compared to Nigeria, Ninolowo said:
“I can’t even remember the last time I auditioned in Nigeria. But, though, even abroad, when they write scripts, they know exactly the actor they’re looking for. They have the actor, and they have a substitute actor, just in case that person is not available. So if you’re a filmmaker today, and you don’t know who you can potentially use, then you have a problem, if you have to start auditioning. There are roles that you audition for which you know, which are like minor roles, or maybe you have supporting roles, and you feel like, you know, let’s audition a few people. But for your main cast, you should have an idea of the kind of people that you want. So, if these are not available, then you can always have a substitute, but that’s just being honest.”
He added that he wouldn’t be offended if asked to audition locally, but it would depend on the offer.
“No, why? It’s part of the job.”
When jokingly asked if his “Makanaki” status exempts him, he laughed and said:
“Hope the person isn’t mad? (Laughs) No, no, no. But there’s only one thing that drives Maka oh! It’s the paper. If you want to pay me twenty million for two days, you’re telling me to audition. I will do it immediately.”
On his personal life, Ninolowo declined to delve into details about his separation.
“That’s not why we are here. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m separated. I have to be there for my kids. No issues, no issues.”
Finally, asked about the persistent ethnic divisions in Nollywood, the actor responded plainly.
“It’s going to be like that forever. I met the industry like that, and that’s how I will leave it.”
When asked if anything could be done to change it, he said:
“Nothing can be done to change it.”
Pressed further on why the division can’t be resolved, he concluded:
“Don’t you have Yoruba people? Don’t you have Igbo people? Don’t you have Hausa people? Because of our different cultures, it is what it is. Let’s not lie to each other. Don’t go into what is not your business. You always have Yoruba as Yoruba industry, Igbo industry, or whatever. A person like me, I do Yoruba films, I do English films. I’m doing American films right now.”
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