The influence of women in the film industry in Nigeria is perhaps greater now than ever before with the likes of Mary Remmy Njoku doing big things. After joining forces with Jason Njoku, her husband to grow IROKO TV, one of the largest platforms for Nollywood movies and TV series, she went on to found ROK Studios, a leading African film, television studio and production house. ROK has produced over 540 films and 25 original TV series, including Festac Town, Single Ladies, Body Language, Losing Control and Husbands of Lagos since its launch.
In this interview with Judith Audu’s Meet the Actor/ Film maker, Mrs Njoku chronicles her early days in Nollywood.
She also speaks on the challenges of IROKO TV as well as the peculiarities of creating unique films through ROK Studios, the largest production house in Nigeria.
You found your way into the industry at 17, while you were in secondary school, how was it like?
It was exciting, I was young. It was actually my first time. So when I was given an opportunity to feature in a Nollywood movie, I was like ‘OMG! I am going to be a star’. It wasn’t easy.
How was it like being on set for your first role?
It wasn’t my first role; it was actually my first major role. My first role wasn’t really a role. It was in secondary school, they called us to play waka pass role. A neighbour of mine was an actor back then. During our mid-term, he invited me for a role since I was already involved in drama in school. I was skeptical at first because of my mom but we went for it, I think the movie is titled Last Girl Standing featuring Stephanie Okereke, Emeka Enyiocha and when they paid me for the job, I spent all my money taking pictures. I think I was paid N1, 000 or N500.
How was your first major movie role in Home Sickness?
It was like everything for me. I was a star. I held on to that script for so long. If you’re playing a minor role, you don’t get the full script. Home Sickness was the first full script I received with a blue cover. I was on top of the world.
You did quite a number of movies between 2004 and 2011 before you got your big break from Blackberry Babes, what was the transition like?
A lot happened. I quit acting several times. I did a lot of things. The transition was very tough. The trekking, the disappointment, the cries were really tough.
How did you pick yourself up to audition for Blackberry Babes?
Growing up, my mom used to say ‘Nina you are the most beautiful and intelligent girl, say that to yourself,’ and I do. So when I go for auditions and I don’t get the role. I’ll tell myself that maybe they didn’t have a role for me. I’ll go back to the mirror and try out what I did and assure myself that I did well and will try again. I have been to like 5,000 auditions. It wasn’t difficult making decisions.
I have always made decisions myself; I don’t like people making decisions for me. When they do, I feel like I’m stupid. I look at what is happening with me, I believe whatever comes out of the decisions I make, I will be the one to deal with it. So when I decided to quit acting, people started telling me they had roles for me. An actor even stopped me to tell me a new actor in the industry had already made it. It didn’t move me. Whatever you are doing, put your mind into it, if you start something else, you can leave it and come back again. Going and coming back wasn’t difficult for me. My mom was very supportive.
Did things change after Blackberry Babes?
Things didn’t change after Blackberry Babes. People thought I shot into limelight, I struggled after that. It helped but I met my husband before Blackberry Babes came out. Before I knew it, I was everywhere. But when I got married, most people didn’t want to call me for jobs. It was difficult. Sometimes I’d cry. There was an incident then, there was a producer that promised me a role. I found out that he had given the same role to a friend of mine. A day to the shoot, I called this friend to enquire about the job, she told me she was given the role I was given. She insisted on playing the character so I gave it up. Then I sent the producer a text message that I was no longer interested in the role. He called me and asked why I called my friend, calling me an idiot with lots of insults. I didn’t retaliate. I have always had self-worth and that is the greatest gift that I got from my mother. It helped me and it is still helping me.
From 2011 to 2013, you started producing content for IROK TV before it became IROKO TV…
There was IROKO TV, it started in 2011, I had started doing behind the scene work out of boredom because producers were not calling me for jobs, and nobody was. So I decided to go behind the scene. I stated interviewing celebrities; I did red carpet and music videos. When I started IROK, it was an eye opener, it was enlightening, it made being at the top easy. I have done PA jobs, camera work, editing, everything.
IROK was not IROKO TV and is still not IROKO TV. IROK was something I was doing by the side. It was on YouTube. I didn’t start as a chief content officer at IROKO TV. I started as my husband’s adviser. It wasn’t IROKO TV at that time, it was Nollywood Love. We used to upload movies while I was dating my husband then. He was talking to his partners and I used to advise him. I didn’t want to work with him at first but I officially came on board. I became the chief content officer for many years and I wanted to leave to start ROK, but my husband didn’t want me to leave. He said that I could start while working with him.
How was it like starting as a producer? I remember you said an actor said he couldn’t appear in your movie because you were too small…
When I producing, I was very excited that I would be working with this actor. So I took the script to him. It became more like an interview. He asked what camera I was going to use, so I told him that I couldn’t afford the camera he wanted but I could in the future. He said ‘so you are a young producer, who is playing the character?’
I told him I was the one, and he said I was looking for a star to boost my career. I said no, that I fit into the character. At that point, I knew that I couldn’t work with him anymore. So he told me ‘when you are big enough in the future, you can come back. I am not interested in small actors who are looking for people to boost their acting career.’ I have forgiven him. I felt bad, I went home and I told my husband.
The truth is, I wasn’t that small. I am not really a noise maker. When I do things, I put so much effort in what I do that I don’t have time to announce or celebrate it. I believe making noise takes so much energy and time. I can’t afford to take time off to do that. At that time, I had worked with producers that he knew but he didn’t know that I was behind those projects. So when I told a friend of mine what had happened, she said that I would have told him who I was, that I was Jason Njoku’s wife, including the work I had done. I told her that I didn’t need to tell him who I was. My name is Mary Njoku and I have earned that name.
You went to the London Film Academy, how did it help you in the course of your career?
It did a lot. Going to London Film Academy made me realise that I have the experience. I had been on set but this is different, especially when things have to be done properly. They teach how to produce content in the West; they don’t teach you how to produce content in Africa or Nigeria. I have the Nigerian knowledge, when I mix it with doing things properly, I found my balance. So it helped a lot.
You birthed ROK TV in 2013, how did it come about?
There was IROK TV on YouTube. I was looking for a name and when I came back, I wanted to produce. My first production was Festac Town series. So I needed a name and I started the company ROK TV. I was also the content chef officer at IROKO TV and the price of content was going up. Producers were demanding too much. It was difficult to get content.
We had competitors that were willing to pay more for content. All of a sudden producers were like ‘IROKO TV is big today because it started from YouTube; we need to have our own YouTube channel.’ Not knowing that they were destroying everything. IROKO TV left YouTube for a reason. If YouTube was better why would IROKO TV leave?
Everybody wanted to have a YouTube channel to be big, but some Nigerians don’t understand investments. People thought we were big and making money from their films not knowing that somebody invested and this is how we grew big. So they started opening their YouTube channel.
IROKO was charging fees, there was YouTube and it was free. So how do you compete with free? We had producers putting their movies on YouTube, new movies at that. Instead of paying to see those movies on IROKO, people would rather go to YouTube. Producers were not willing to pay, so they spoilt everything.
A producer came to my office one day and was hurling insults because we wanted him to sell his movie to us. So when I got home and I watched the movie, I wasn’t impressed, so I told my husband that I could do this. This was after Festac Town, I had not released it yet, I was still editing, I went back to shoot Hadiza, Raging Passion and Stolen Waters. 2 out of the 3 won 2 awards. Stolen Waters won an award and Hadiza won best film at Abuja International Festival. It was one of the best films on IROKO TV that year, so my husband was happy.
ROK TV has commissioned people to produce for it, you’ve taken risks, and how did it happen?
It wasn’t easy. Some of the producers I started with back then are not working with me now. Some of them ran away with my money. It was difficult at first, I had to limit it to few producers I could trust. It took a while for me to start trusting people again. But the truth is, we have so many untapped talents out there. ROK is all about fresh and new. I don’t like doing things that everyone is doing, I was one of those talents looking for opportunities back then. If someone hadn’t given me an opportunity, I won’t be where I am today.
I love giving people chances, creating a platform for people to shine. It is a fulfillment. You don’t know how powerful you are until you create something from the scratch. If I hadn’t done that I won’t be where I am today. When I was given money to produce, I wanted to produce all at once. I wanted to plan and I wanted other people to plan with me as well.
After launching ROK, you went to the UK to launch ROK on Skye, same year you launched ROK on DStv, how was it like?
Sleepless nights. I had done most of the work earlier, two years before then. When we launched ROK on Skye, we had contents. DSTV was not difficult but the content took many years. Two years that, I launched ROK 2 and ROK 3. That was difficult. When Dstv gave me the opportunity to launch two channels, we didn’t really have enough content. Six weeks to the launching, we had 11 epic moves and I don’t think I have ever worked that hard in my life. We had to shoot everywhere. I was like a mad woman but my husband believed in me. I thought it was impossible but it became possible.
How do you manage these stations along with your staff?
I don’t really manage the stations like that; I manage the contents but not all the stations which is good because I get to focus on production. It’s not easy but when you do something you love, it will be easy. Even when you are suffering, you will be smiling. I don’t know how I manage. Sometimes my family will suffer, sometimes work will suffer.
People say ROK TV is the biggest thing in Nollywood, how do you feel?
I feel lucky although I tell myself that it’s not luck, I feel privileged. Yes, it is huge and big but I still tell myself, this is the beginning. Staying at the top is more difficult than climbing to the top. I feel lucky and blessed though. I thank my husband a lot because he played a huge role in that even though I worked really hard. It was a collective effort. I thank my producers and my team. I feel that I am not there yet. That is why I don’t grant interviews because people will ask me to share my story, the story is just starting.
You’ve been here for 16 years, what has changed in Nollywood?
The quality of production has changed. There are more opportunities. Before opportunities were in the hands of very few people, there was a cabal, you needed connection. But now someone can become popular from Instagram. Nollywood is flexible; you can create your opportunities, if someone does not give it to you.
What has kept you going?
I love Nollywood a lot. It is like a father, a rehabilitation centre. That is how I see Nollywood. It does not judge your past. It can accept you whichever way you are and Nollywood can turn your life around. It is patient. In 20 years’ time, it can still employ you. It accepts anybody, it kept me going.
How do you select producers for ROK TV?
You have to be a producer, although I have made an exception sometimes. You have to show me what you have done. Submit your movies and we will take it from there. We added 11 producers last year and all of them were shocked when I called them.
How can people get content across to you?
Forward all contents to content@rok.ng
