Actress and producer Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has revealed how much she earned from her directorial debut, Mother’s Love, giving fans a rare, transparent breakdown of a Nollywood box office run.
In a video shared on her Instagram page, Omotola said the film grossed ₦103,094,663 at the cinema before its run ended.
However, after deductions, only ₦22,276,558 accrued to the producers.
She explained that multiple deductions were made from the gross, including payments to exhibitors, distributors, advertising costs, Value Added Tax (VAT), entertainment tax and withholding tax.
“At the end of our run, we had made N103,094,663. After deduction from exhibitors, value added tax VAT, entertainment tax, withholding tax, and every other thing, the money that was accrued to us as producers of Mother’s Love was N22 million,” she said.
According to Omotola, keeping to a promise made by her production company, RedHot Concepts, 100% of the net amount was donated to Slum2School Africa, a non-governmental organisation focused on improving access to education for children in underserved communities.
Donation Fulfils Pledge Made Before Film’s Release
The film’s distributor, Nile Entertainment, transferred the ₦22,276,558 to Slum2School Africa on July 7, 2026, fulfilling a commitment RedHot Concepts had publicly announced in March.
“On the 7th of July 2026, our amazing distributors, Nile Entertainment, transferred that sum of money to our NGO beneficiary, Slum to School Africa. The team and I are very, very thankful,” Omotola said.
Mother’s Love, which crossed the ₦100 million mark in April, became one of only a handful of films in global cinema history to donate 100% of its theatrical proceeds to charity, and the first Nollywood production to do so.
Omotola, a UN World Food Programme Ambassador marking her 30th year in film, said the cinema run was a new experience for her, and that pulling the film out of cinemas after its final run on April 19 was a difficult but necessary decision.
“It was a challenge, but I rose to the challenge, I believe. You know, as a producer, you have to show up, and that was a challenge I wasn’t ready for,” she said.
Her disclosure has sparked online conversation about the gap between a Nollywood film’s reported box office gross and what producers actually take home after taxes and distribution costs.
Despite the heavy deductions, Omotola described the run as a win, saying the donation to Slum2School Africa was part of giving back to communities that supported the film.
