Introduction to Healthy Living Campaign
Emeka Rollas, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has urged Nollywood actors and other industry players to prioritize healthy lifestyle to avoid imminent health breakdown. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rollas made the call at the beginning of the 2025 “Annual Walk and Wellness Campaign” of the guild, in Abuja.
The Importance of Healthy Living
According to the AGN boss, the spate of health challenges faced by actors in Nollywood in recent times has made the call for healthy living more imperative. He said the nature of the filmmaking job was so demanding and time-consuming that a lot of industry players, especially actors, have no or little time for their health concerns. The AGN helmsman, therefore, advised actors to be intentional with their health and recognize the signs and symptoms of a potential breakdown and seek immediate help.
Dangers of Neglecting Health
“One of the dangers of not knowing your health status is that when sickness hits you, you might just go into an emergency case, and emergency case is what often leads to death. Actually, we started the health walk for three years now, and this year at the National Executive Council we decided that all state chapters should of course do theirs at their state capitals. The health walk specifically came at an initiative when we noticed that very many actors were sick and were always on the internet seeking for support for their health.
The Walk and Wellness Campaign
The Walk and Wellness Campaign, which was holding simultaneously across the guild’s state chapters, is aimed at prioritizing health and wellness within the industry. He said the campaign would feature a range of activities aimed at promoting comprehensive well-being of actors, including medical screenings, mental health discussions by experts and therapy sessions. He also encouraged actors to get enrolled in the guild’s health insurance programme in order to access prompt and affordable medical attention whenever the need arises.
Benefits of the Campaign
According to Rollas, “You may also notice that in the past three years now, the issue of actors coming online to beg for support has diminished drastically. It’s no longer as frequent as it used to be, which means people are actually keying into this, signing up on the AGN HMO, signing up on other benefits to be members.” He said, “So this is a day we go through medical examination to know those whose cases are getting worse, so they will begin on time to seek for medical attention. Today you can see test kits for malaria, typhoid, HIV, BP, arthritis, and others, all for actors to know their health status.”
Reactions from Industry Players
In an interview with NAN on the sideline, Mercy Aminu, FCT Mayor of AGN and host of the event, expressed delight for full participation of FCT actors in the event. “I feel my members are now aware of the need to take their health seriously, which is the essence of this walk. It’s known that actors don’t really take their health seriously, not because they don’t want to, but because of their tight schedules of moving from one film set to the other.” Some Nollywood stars who spoke with NAN also lent their voices to the healthy living campaign, while commending the guild’s leadership for the initiative.
Conclusion
The Walk and Wellness Campaign is a laudable initiative by the Actors Guild of Nigeria to promote healthy living among its members. With the campaign, actors are encouraged to prioritize their health and wellbeing, and seek medical attention when necessary. The guild’s leadership has also encouraged actors to enroll in the health insurance programme to access prompt and affordable medical attention.
FAQs
- What is the purpose of the Walk and Wellness Campaign?
The purpose of the Walk and Wellness Campaign is to prioritize health and wellness within the industry, and to encourage actors to take their health seriously. - How often should actors check their health status?
Actors should check their health status at least once a year, and be intentional about their health and wellbeing. - What activities are featured in the Walk and Wellness Campaign?
The campaign features medical screenings, mental health discussions by experts, and therapy sessions. - Why is it important for actors to enroll in the guild’s health insurance programme?
It is important for actors to enroll in the guild’s health insurance programme to access prompt and affordable medical attention whenever the need arises.
Source: nannews.ng
