The Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, is facing an existential crisis, according to culture analyst and theatre scholar Dr. Ken Chigozie Osunwa, who says the union has “lost its soul” following violent and disputed elections.
In a strongly worded statement titled ‘This House Has Fallen: The Grief of a Guild That Lost Its Soul’, Dr. Osunwa described recent AGN polls in Bayelsa and Delta as “chaos, violence, and treachery” rather than democracy.
He said Bayelsa’s elections “ended in chaos” while Delta was worse, with many members calling it a “coup”.
“If a professional body cannot conduct a credible election, what credibility remains?” Dr. Osunwa asked. “When elections become bloodbaths and power grabs, we are no longer dealing with disagreement. We are dealing with collapse.”
The scholar blamed a breakdown of trust, factionalism over institution, the silence of elders, and impunity for the Guild’s current state. He said young actors who saved to pay dues and veterans who built Nollywood have been disappointed.
Calls for Rebuilding
Dr. Osunwa proposed urgent reforms to save the Guild, including:
- Digital, verifiable voting with a published register and live-streamed elections
- Constitutional review through a national delegates’ conference
- Truth and Reconciliation Forums for Bayelsa and Delta chapters, plus a “National Mourning and Confession” for all state chapters
- Mentorship handovers to transfer knowledge, not just power, to younger members
“The Guild is not just NEC. It is every actor who still believes the stage is sacred,” he wrote. “AGN has not died, but it is in ICU. The shame will be if we refuse to rise.”
Dr. Ken Chigozie Osunwa is a culture analyst and theatre/film scholar & practitioner.
