LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Toyosi Etim Effiong has opened up about how marrying Nollywood actor Daniel Etim Effiong inspired her move into talent management.
Speaking during a recent podcast appearance, Toyosi explained that her decision was influenced by what she observed in her husband’s acting career shortly after they got married.
She explained that she noticed major gaps in structure, contracts, and professionalism within the movie industry.
According to her, Nollywood lacked organized negotiations and clear legal structures for thespians.
Drawing from her previous experience as a show organiser in New York, she decided to introduce some of the professionalism she had seen in the American entertainment industry into Nollywood.
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Her husband whom she described as the industry’s “finest” naturally became her first client.
“I am married to Daniel Etim Effiong – Nigeria’s finest filmmaker and actor. And earlier on in the marriage, I realized that there wasn’t a lot of structure in his career and the Nigerian movie industry generally,” she said.
Toyosi further described how informal movie deals were at the time, noting that actors often negotiated fees over phone calls without proper contracts or scheduling systems.
“Producers just casually call actors and ask when they will be available for a shoot and when the actor is available, they start bargaining for the artiste’s fee over the phone like market women. It was very informal,” Toyosi explained.
She also recalled situations where actors would clear their schedules for film projects, only for producers to cancel at the last minute.
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“Sometimes, you will clear your calendar for a shoot and the producer will call and tell you it has been cancelled at the last minute and give excuses. There was no structure or legal framework. The negotiations were also horrible,” she added.
Determined to improve things, Toyosi said she gradually stepped into the role of manager by handling her husband’s contracts, social media presence, and career planning.
Shortly after her takeover, the positive results came to light.
“So, I became a self-appointed manager, which he was fine with. I started to support him, even with his social media and reading through his contracts. My support brought immediate results. And after some months, some of his friends approached me to manage them, too,” she added.
