Veteran Nollywood actress and producer Ruth Kadiri has opened up about the importance of staying true to oneself in the entertainment industry.

In an interview with Jay On Air, Kadiri emphasized that her focus is on personal happiness and fulfillment, rather than chasing external validation.

“The last thing I want to do as a person is to lose myself in the process of being an entertainer. I need to be able to keep the wealth of happiness, of fulfillment for myself whilst growing and building what I want to build. And I’m not going to let anybody sway me,” she said.

With a career spanning over two decades, Kadiri has worn multiple hats in Nollywood, working as a writer, producer, and actress on several notable projects. She recalled that her passion for entertainment started as early as her time at Unilag, beginning behind the scenes as a writer.

“Beautiful movies were shot in Ghana. Amazing hits were written by me,” she added.

Kadiri also credited her success to trusting her instincts and having a clear vision for her work. She acknowledged that breaking into the industry was challenging, especially when YouTube and other platforms were just emerging.

“I didn’t understand the business. I didn’t understand how it was. And it wasn’t so appealing at that time. But when I wanted to do it, I knew how my own was going to go. Most times when I want to do something, I know when it’s going to succeed. I don’t know how I know, but I know,” she explained.

Kadiri admitted that her long-term goals are often misunderstood by others, but she remains focused on her vision.

“With the tools and the opportunities like YouTube and lots of platforms, I expect entertainers to be going crazy and wild and creating things and stuff like that. All those things we wrote in our journals, we are not doing it anymore,” she lamented.

Kadiri’s reflections serve as a reminder that personal integrity and creative fulfillment should remain central, even amid the pressures of fame and public expectation.