Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe recently shared his challenging journey into the movie industry, recounting how he was unexpectedly dismissed by Etisalat Nigeria in 2012. Before its rebranding to 9Mobile in 2017, Etisalat was one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications companies.
In an interview with media personality Chude Jidenonwo, Uzor revealed that he was let go just when he was expecting a promotion from specialist to manager after years of service. He explained that he had to take responsibility for an incident in his department, though he didn’t elaborate on the details.
Following his dismissal, Uzor faced a tough period trying to break into Nollywood. From November 2012 to November 2013, he was jobless and struggled to secure movie roles. When he finally started landing parts, the pay was meager—ranging from N1,000 to N10,000, with some gigs offering just a “thank you for coming” as compensation.
“I worked in telecommunications, retail, and sports. I was actually fired from Etisalat in 2012. My mum doesn’t even know. Something happened in my department, and as the team leader, I had to take the fall. It was one of the hardest things ever. They stripped me of everything that made me feel I had a job,” Uzor recalled.
His attempts to join the film industry initially met with little success. “Between 2012 and 2013, the only gig I got was a stage drama through Seyi Babatope. I was home for a year with no job. Nobody was calling me for films. It was terrible.”
Determined to keep going, Uzor decided to return to the corporate world and secured another job. However, in 2018, he chose to pursue his passion for acting full-time. “I left my job in April 2018 and got my first gig with Iroko on August 28, 2018. At that time, I was broke and desperate, even saying prayers at noon for a breakthrough.”
Uzor’s story is a testament to perseverance and resilience in the face of setbacks, showing that success often comes after enduring significant hardships.
