Daniel Etim-Effiong Prays Before Kissing on Set and His Reasons Make Perfect Sense

27 October 2025 at 17:20The actor wants Nollywood to rethink how it shows loveDaniel Etim-Effiong Prays Before Kissing on Set and His Reasons Make Perfect Sense [Instagram/@danieletimeffiong]Recently, Etim-Effiong sparked conversation after revealing that he prays before every kissing scene on set. 

For him, it’s not just ritual, it’s reverence. “I get all my inspiration from God,” he said during an interview on Channels TV’s Rubbin’ Minds. “I go on my knees and pray before I go to set and kiss.”

It’s a statement that might sound unusual in a film culture where romantic scenes are often treated as routine, or worse, a marketing strategy. 

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That perspective shapes how he approaches his roles, especially the romantic ones that have made him one of Nollywood’s most recognisable faces. 

From Plan B to Therapy, and the now-infamous Summer Rain, Etim-Effiong has mastered the language of subtle passion. 

But it was Summer Rain, particularly his onscreen kiss with actress Bolaji Ogunmola, that made him a target of public scrutiny. Social media users dissected the scene, debating whether an actor of his standing should even accept such roles.

ADVERTISEMENTThe Producer’s Hand in Shaping IntimacyHis comment touches a deeper nerve in Nollywood: the creative decisions behind romantic storytelling.

For decades, Nigerian producers and screenwriters have leaned heavily on the visual shorthand of physical affection, especially kissing, to signal love or tension. It’s cinematic grammar borrowed from Hollywood but often transplanted without nuance.

ADVERTISEMENT“The average Nollywood script says, ‘kiss passionately’ because that’s what sells,” Etim-Effiong observed. “But I believe there are braver ways to explore affection on screen.”

He’s not wrong. Producers often argue that audiences “expect” romantic expression to look a certain way: a slow-motion kiss, a bed scene, a lingering touch, because that’s what feels “international.”

Yet, as Etim-Effiong points out, love can be communicated through silence, body language, gaze, or even absence.

Perhaps the challenge, then, lies not with the actors performing those scenes, but with the filmmakers writing and directing them. Why does Nollywood so often equate love with lip contact? Why do so few producers trust their audience to feel a connection without a kiss?

READ TOO: Osas Ighodaro’s bad kiss exposes Nollywood’s need for intimacy coaches

ADVERTISEMENTActing and BoundariesEtim-Effiong’s perspective also opens up a wider conversation about boundaries on set, an area Nigerian cinema is only just beginning to navigate more consciously. 

For faith-driven performers like Etim-Effiong, prayer becomes both preparation and protection, a spiritual grounding that allows them to serve the story without compromising their beliefs.

“I go on my knees and pray,” he said plainly. “It keeps me focused, keeps me aligned.”

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