Kanayo Weighs In On Ghanaian Actors’ Equal-Pay Demand

Veteran actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has criticized certain Ghanaian actors for requesting the same compensation on film sets as Nigerian celebrities.

In an interview with a Ghanaian media outlet, the actor—who is currently in Ghana for a production with Patience Ozokwo and others—made the claim.

According to Kanayo, some Ghanaian actors now routinely put pressure on producers to match the fees paid to their Nigerian counterparts.

He said, “I am KOK. I was among the founding fathers. You now wake up in Ghana. They called KOK to come and act in Ghana; you, Ghanaian boy, will now insist they pay you the same fees as me. It happens even up to today. There is hierarchy even in heaven. The movie industry has hierarchy.

“Negotiate what you want to be paid. Don’t equate yourself with me. Tell your Ghanaian brothers and sisters, it is not your business what they pay Nigerian actors. Go and negotiate your own, receive it and go and rest; and then you will have peace in your life, otherwise I will invoke Amadioha in Nigeria”.

Equal pay may not always be practical because roles, experience, and responsibilities differ. Every industry has a hierarchy, and compensation should reflect those differences—just as we wouldn’t expect to pay the most senior person the same as the youngest newcomer. For that reason, I believe Kanayo has a point: pay should be fair, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be equal for everyone.