The National president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Alhaji Abubakar Sanusi Yakubu, has urged members to support ongoing reforms and strategic partnerships initiated by his administration towards strengthening the guild and safeguarding the overall interests of Nollywood actors.
He made the call while addressing actors at the guild’s Abuja Stars and Veterans Interactive Session held during the weekend at the AGN National Headquarters in Abuja to discuss and chart a common front for the development of the guild.
According to Yakubu, who assumed office in January 2026, his administration has a commitment to provide visionary and transparent leadership that would unite members, restore confidence and reposition the guild as a stronger and professionally respected institution.
He stressed that is administration came into office with a clear vision encapsulated in our Five- Point Agenda, which is focused on unity and reconciliation; professional welfare and protection for every actor; capacity development and international opportunities for members; strategic partnerships and industry growth; and institutional reforms that will strengthen the guild for generations to come.
“I am pleased to report that, within this short period, we have recorded encouraging progress. We have restored confidence in the guild through engagement and reconciliation, strengthened relationships with government institutions and corporate organizations.”
He added that, ”we have expanded international collaborations, attracted strategic partnerships, increased the global visibility of AGN, commenced reforms aimed at improving our operations, and initiated programmes that will create greater opportunities for our members at home and abroad.”
While urging members to join hands with his administration to build on the good foundation already laid, the AGN helmsman said,”These achievements belong to all of us. They are evidence that when we stand together, the impossible becomes possible”.
“However, distinguished colleagues, our work has only just begun.If we truly desire to elevate acting from a passion to a fully protected profession, we must move beyond conversations. We must build institutions that will outlive us,” he added.
The AGN boss also called for a legislative framework that will reposition the guild as a statutory professional body of Nigerian actors.
According to him, such legislative backing will institutionalise standard contractual frameworks, protect actors from exploitation, and legally enforce a structured regulatory environment across Nollywood.
He said a formal legislation passed by the National Assembly would guarantee actors access to standard contracts, intellectual property protections, royalties, and residual payments for their distributed works.
Yakubu added that such legislative backing would also empower the guild to introduce mandatory licensing for practitioners, prevent quackery and ensure all working actors are bound by professional codes of conduct.
“One of the greatest assignments before us is to secure legislative backing through an act of parliament for our profession and our guild.This is not merely an administrative exercise, it is the future of every Nigerian actor,” he said.
Yakubu said the guild was having an ongoing revalidation exercise for members, and urged members to update their records and obtain official identity cards to strengthen the national database and ensure professional recognition.
He emphasized that accurate data collection helps the guild plan effectively for member welfare and safety against exploitation.
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