Lagos: Circuits Africa, a premium virtual cinema and content distribution platform, has unveiled a Film Veterans Dignity Fund to support aged actors and filmmakers who can no longer actively work.
The Chief Operating Officer of Circuits, Mrs Imade Bibowei-Osuobeni, made this known on Friday during a roundtable with journalists in Lagos.
She said the fund was officially launched in January 2025 to honour and support the people who helped build the Nigerian film industry.
According to her, the fund provides monthly stipends for life and comprehensive health insurance for film veterans aged 70 and above.
She said: “In January, we registered respected veterans such as Pete Edochie, Pa Lere Paimo and Idowu Philips (Iya Rainbow).
“They are already receiving monthly payments and have been fully enrolled in a comprehensive health insurance scheme with NEM Health Insurance.”
She added that more veterans would soon be included in the programme.
To ensure the initiative’s sustainability, she said Circuits had committed 10 per cent of its revenue to fund the project.
Bibowei-Osuobeni said the fund was created in response to the harsh reality faced by many retired film veterans.
She noted that several actors and filmmakers who once entertained Nigerians end up without a steady income after retirement, leading some to seek public donations to survive and pay medical bills.
She said the company believed that those who contributed to building the industry deserved to live their later years in dignity and comfort, not in hardship.
She reaffirmed Circuits’ commitment to supporting the creative industry, not only through content distribution, but also through meaningful social impact programmes.