Nollywood filmmaker Mary Remmy Njoku has said that breaking into the media industry increasingly requires dramatic or unconventional actions, noting that talent and hard work alone no longer guarantee visibility.
Nollywood filmmaker says genuine work no longer gets the spotlight
She made the comments while speaking as a panellist at NECLive 2025, where she reflected on her career and the realities facing young creatives today.
Njoku, who founded the ROK TV Channels and leads ROK Studios, explained that her own success came from identifying gaps in the creative sector and building solutions around them.
According to her, she rose to the top of the industry not by chasing attention but by consistently solving problems and creating opportunities within Africa’s entertainment space.
However, she lamented that public attention tends to favour shocking or extreme behaviour over genuine contributions.
This, she said, places hardworking creatives at a disadvantage, as the current media culture rewards controversy rather than impact.
Urges young creatives to focus on solving problems, not chasing hype
She urged young talents to remain committed to substance, even when the industry appears to celebrate the opposite.
In her words: “I got rich by solving problems. If you want to blow right now, you can’t blow by doing good. You have to do something stupid or crazy right now. And it’s not fair on the very few people that are doing good.”
Njoku encouraged upcoming creators to maintain integrity, use their platforms responsibly, and focus on long-term value rather than short-term noise, stressing that influence should be used to uplift the industry and inspire meaningful change.
Watch the video below…
Founder of ROK TV Channels and CEO of ROK Studios, Mary Njoku, speaking on a panel at NECLive 2025 as she discussed what it means to be a creative entrepreneur in Africa. pic.twitter.com/ZM7Zgk16pq
— Netng (@theNETng) November 29, 2025
