My BackgroundI was born in Gboko, Benue State. After the civil war, my father was sent to Bauchi at the 143 Battalion, I moved with him including my mother. That's where I did my primary school, secondary school and I started working in 1984, at the cultural centre. I was sent to go and do a course in Cultural Studies; I completed the course and went back to Bauchi where I worked as a trainee DJ. Later, when the late Chief Hubert Ogunde visited the state to audition the first set of artistes into the National Troupe, I participated and I was taken. I found myself in the National Troupe of Nigeria. While I was there, I was able to travel to so many countries to represent Nigeria. In 1996 my contract expired. I was to go back to Bauchi where I came from. Then, I discovered that my worldview had expanded, my horizon wider, and by then I have bought two cars. Then, I asked myself, how do I fuel this two cars? How do I keep this lifestyle going? What will they pay me in Bauchi? So, I decided to stay in Lagos. I worked with a few publicity firms and production outfits and as God is always on the throne, I was called back to The National Troupe as a marketing officer in year 2001. From there, I moved on to become the stage manager. Nollywood is my game plan I started acting on TV immediately I arrived in Lagos but to have a breakthrough in Lagos became so difficult being an Hausa actor. Until one day as fate would have it through my activities as NANTAP chairman Lagos chapter, one lady Benny whose husband was our member and was very ill came to me to help raise funds to treat her husband. In the course of doing this, we got to know ourselves better, she was with the NTA then. It was she that helped me to feature in Road to Destiny. Tanko was the role I played and it became a household name. After that, I did a couple of films, soaps, and documentaries. Me and NollywoodI have not really done much in Nollywood but I have put in all my best in the few that I have been part of. My career as an actor is quite impressive, I am enjoying it, and I am being paid for enjoying myself. Nollywood is going places, I am happy about it. I have seen the film by Jeta Amata, Amazing grace. It's quite amazing to see that a film of that magnitude finesse was actually produced in Nigeria by a Nigerian. We are beginning to write good stories now, but we need support from government. Recording in the airport and other such facilities in Nigeria are not easy; while other countries jump at such request because it helps to sell their image. Getting into characterI apply the teacher's approach. When I am given a role, I'll first of all read the entire script about two times, and then I'll pick my role and begin to marshal it out. If I am given a mad man's role, I'll go out to locate a mad man, to see how he relates to human beings, children, animals, cars, motorcycles and so on for two days. When I get back to my apartment, I look at my mirror and begin to enact the actions as my lines are being dictated to me.I'll drop photocopies of my scripts in different places in my apartment including the toilet, bathroom, wardrobe, and the dinning hall. No matter the mood I am in. Once I get into the toilet, I know that I must get the lines. If the script comes too impromptu, I read it in my car and also record it, so that I can play back while driving. I keep playing so that when the blocking starts, the lines are there. You don't have to cram the lines, because once you forget a word, you mess yourself up before the audience. Sometimes, the audience comes with the play text, so they easily detect your mistakes. Challenges of live theatreIt is very challenging. It demands your spirit, body and time because, it is very delicate. One of my superiors that schooled in London told us of a story where they were doing three different productions three times daily and one of the actors mistakenly mixed up his lines. He delivered the lines for the afternoon play in the morning play.He worked out through the central exit crazy and up till now he is still crazy. So, if you master your lines well without cramming, you will not get them mixed up. It is very challenging to be on set. You must get your lines and movements right, because, the audience are watching and looking out for mistakes. Stage drama is the same anywhere in the world. In Nollywood, what they do is to cut and join. Most of the actors there before they come on set adjust one thing or the other but stage does not give you such a privilege, it is immediate and direct.The threat of the Mexican Tele—NovellasI feel very sad about these Mexican soaps. I do know that all these are very old in their archives. Somebody will go there, pick them up and dust them and bring them here. I blame our sponsors here because they have refused to sponsor local productions. I do know that when we were doing television programmes like; Mind Bending, Second Chance, Cockcrow at Dawn and Bassey Company, there was followership. But now, who can pay for sponsorship? Is it the corporate bodies that have refused to talk to us? It is the decline in sponsorship that paved way for the foreign soaps. It's time for corporate organization bodies to consider us again and see what they can do to bring back the lost glory of this nation.The Guilds should uniteIt would be better if we merge. it is a pity we have presidents who do not understand why we should merge. When I was the chairman Lagos NANTAP, I made all effort to see that we merge, then they were called NAG (Nigerian Actors Guilds). More than four times, I have fixed meetings, which they attended but my president would not come. My people kept saying that the movie people would soon fall, but they have not fallen instead they are waxing quite stronger. They keep saying that the movie people were not educated; they are Igbotic and not trained.I tell them that since we are more educated than they are, we should not sit here without knowing what is going on, we should join them and take over from them. The ones that understood what I meant sneaked out to join them. I also joined when I completed my tenure. They are moving, they are doing well and fantastic jobs too. But we must not forget that Nollywood get their sponsors from the marketers. People don't like working for them because they don't pay well, they dictate who and whom you will use. But a more formidable actors' body can do a lot of good to the industry.