Nigerian filmmaker and actress Toyin Abraham has revealed that she only began earning good money from acting about eight years ago, despite spending nearly 25 years in the movie industry.

Speaking in a recent video, the 43-year-old producer said financial success came much later than many people think.

“I just started making money. I have been in the industry for about 25 years, since 2001. I started making money, I don’t think it is up to eight years. Then, I was making it, but it was peanuts, just what to eat,” Abraham said.

According to her, the income she earned in her early years was only enough to cover basic needs.

Abraham had previously spoken about her financial struggles in 2020. Her latest remarks again highlight the challenges she faced before reaching success.

Today, she is one of Nollywood’s most successful filmmakers. Earlier this year, her 2025 film, ‘Oversabi Aunty’, crossed the N1 billion mark at the box office.

The achievement made the movie the first Nollywood directorial debut to earn more than N1 billion. It also became the fourth-highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time.