By Rita Okoye
Bolanle ‘Nino’ Ninalowo was a Chicago-based accountant who has successfully carved a niche for himself in Nollywood as a celebrated actor and producer. Known for his captivating performances, business acumen, and skillful storytelling, Ninalowo has become one of the industry’s most admired figures.
In a recent interview with VJ Adams TV, the actor fondly called Nino B opened up about his journey to stardom, the hurdles he has overcome, and the qualities he finds attractive in a woman.
One thing a lot of people don’t know about you is that you were a banker. How did it happen?
A long time ago, banking was one of the things I had to do when I first came to Nigeria. I did it in the United States as well. That goes with going to school and pursuing a career but I was never fulfilled.
Is it true that you started filmmaking as a producer?
Yes, and I failed at that in the beginning. I’ve failed too many times in my life, but what you need to know is that I was failing forward. I also did music from an executive producer’s standpoint. I used to run a record label called Diesel Music. I failed at that, too. I keep failing forward. In filmmaking, I never knew anything about the game when I came in, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. You never build any confidence by stopping; you have to keep going, then you build the confidence while you keep going.
Work has taken you to so many places – living in the United States and Nigeria. If there’s a third country you could choose as home, where would it be?
Probably Dubai, yeah I like Dubai.
What is it about Dubai that you love?
I don’t know, I think it’s just that difference. It’s a beautiful place, there’s just something about Dubai. It just has its uniqueness to it. Dubai is just what it is.
Being a father is a hard job not just from the financial standpoint, looking after kids, but being able to shape their thoughts, morality, guidance and all of that stuff. Do you think you are a strict father?
I think there are certain things I imbibed from my parents growing up, and there have been a lot of adjustments and reality checks because life is different now. This generation is different. I am more of a learner. I’ve learned to be their friend. When I was growing up, my dad wasn’t my friend. That was my dad. That’s the relationship we had when we were growing up. Your dad is your dad, we fear and respect him. But with my kids, you can’t have that because it’s a different world, you just have to be their friend and learn from them. To manage them, they need to be safe with you, that means they can communicate with you from a friendly standpoint, I mean I am still a parent.
Those disciplines and principles you carried on to work show in your work ethic, like being on time. Don’t they?
I feel like the highest level of humility and respect is time. I’d choose a guy who gives me an appointment and is there by 10, rather than 9:45, than a guy who comes in like 10:05, prostrating and greeting me like Egbon and all that, that’s not respectful to me, time is everything. Talent hasn’t made me who I am, time has made me who I am. If I had missed the time I was supposed to be here and I wasn’t here, I couldn’t be who I am. But I’ll tell you what though, I’ve never seen someone who got an appointment at the American embassy miss their time.
There’s a conversation I’ve seen on social media several times: Do you believe in inheriting your friends’ enemies?
For me, the way I’ve been able to navigate that is to not even have friends at all. I am a very transparent person and I control my narrative. You can’t find anything about me that I haven’t put out there myself. Not to digress, I feel like you need to know people individually. I can’t make an enemy because you are an enemy of somebody. I would get so close to you that I would have to take your enemies. I am fighting a lot of my demons already. I don’t need to take your demons with me. But I feel like all these things are just mediocrities and people with just keep being human. To be a superhuman is a different thing, you have to have different rules, values, norms and standards for the way you live, and that’s not just easy to do.
What will you say keeps you going?
Well, it was the darkest times of my life, when you fall flat on your face and your back is against the world, you get the biggest opportunities to discover yourself, you know what I am saying. You either quit or get back up if you want it that bad, you’ve got to find a way to get it. So, for me, I think humility did it for me.
Can you remember your first movie? The first time you worked on another set that wasn’t yours?
Yeah, that has to be Rukky Sandra’s film, and she’s my cousin. I remember sending her a message and telling her that I need help, and the help was that I need to get a role, and I figured if I got a role and put in my best, I’ll probably meet people and go from there. That’s exactly what happened, time and chance happened and I didn’t miss that time. And thanks to Rukky and everybody who helped me in the game because they all played a part.
Would you say, your experience working in the bank helped you manage your finances better when the real money started to come in as a talent?
I wouldn’t say so, because for me, working in the bank, I was just trying to survive, I was trying to get by. I have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s in Marketing, so I was just trying to do what everyone else was trying to do, you know, finish school and get a job. In terms of my finances, I am a family guy, I love family, I love my kids and 90 percent of my income goes to spoiling my kids.
Beyond success what makes you happy?
At some point, I thought that happiness was outside of who I was, then I realised that happiness was inside of me; that I had to make myself happy. I used to think my wife had to make me happy, my kids had to make me happy, but as I grew, I realised that I had to bring the happiness to them. You bring happiness to the ones you love, to the job you bring happiness, to the home you bring happiness. It’s nothing external, it’s internal. I feel what makes me happy is being fulfilled with what I’m doing and realising that my struggle and hustle are paying off. That brings a type of fulfillment, and that in turn makes me happy. I don’t come out; I don’t do clubs and events. I have grown past all that, I am a very serious person.
Let’s say you want to hang out with like five people, who will you call?
Kayode Peters, definitely my son will be there because that’s my best friend, maybe my manager and maybe a cousin of mine that cool with me as well.
What’s your kind of girl? If you see a female, what are the qualities you notice quicker, that attract you?
You know, some of us haven’t even discovered ourselves yet, and some of us will never get an opportunity to discover ourselves because it comes with a lot of adversities. Self-discovery comes with adversity, and they don’t want to go through adversity; they don’t want the pain. I’ve been through a lot of pain and I’ve been privileged to find myself and know myself, which is still an ongoing process. The things that mattered to me years ago are different from the things that matter to me now.
What matters to you now?
Now, I am more about the internal beauty. Knowing that this is a good person, someone you can vibe with and still be compassionate and loving. Most of the things from my wounds in life, I also want to look for those things in other people but self-reflection and understanding, I realised that nobody can give you that, you have to give yourself that, that energy has to come from you. When you meet people and you are not getting what you deserve in term, you bounce.
What do you do when you are angry?
I can’t remember the last time I was upset. I try not to, I’ve trained myself over the years to understand that and I’ll not allow anybody to get me to the point where I’ll have to destroy anything, or get that angry. This thing comes with growth and self discipline at the same time. So, you don’t have the power or control to make me angry if I don’t allow you. The goal is to take back that power and know that until I give you that permission, it’s not going to happen. If you are not messing with my bread or my family, then it’s not that important. Rather, just keep creating value, work hard and create value because people that have value are always needed.
Having lived for 44 years, the roller coaster rides, when you zone in and you are alone do you think of death?
It has happened a couple of times in the past and what I derived from that is to be grateful to God because there’s always something to be grateful for. But events happen every time, I am a very emotional person. I see things happen. It just puts me in check to find ways to thank God.
When was the last time you cried?
I don’t remember but I am actually quite emotional. People don’t know that about me.
What gets you to be emotional?
Having my mom pray for me can burst me into tears, cause I think it’s a rear privilege if you can still experience that. Pain can also get me there, seeing people go through pain alone. I see things happen and I think that this could have been me and I’m privileged. I take nothing for granted. I remember somebody asking me what my greatest fear was, I could not remember a fear at that time, like, I fear really nothing. I was like, hold that thought, my greatest fear now is to lose God’s grace because for me, there are no entitlements, everything is a privilege.
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