NIGERIA MOURNS THE LATE NOLLYWOOD COMEDY TITAN AMAECHI MUONAGOR

Amaechi Muonagor, a legendary comedian and Nollywood actor passed away at the age of 61, a family member told the BBC.

According to the local media, he was receiving dialysis when he suffered renal failure and passed away on Sunday.

Tony Muonagor, a.k.a. Tony Oneweek, the actor's cousin, confirmed his passing to BBC News Pidgin.

In a video uploaded to social media last week, Mr. Muonagor begged for money so that he could afford to have a kidney transplant overseas.

Nollywood is still in shock over the passing of John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, another industry star who had also requested assistance.

There are a ton of tributes for Mr. Muonagor, whose performances made many African homes happy. "Your abilities and performance on film were incredibly kind, intelligent, and amazing. It won't be easy to replace you," one Facebook user commented.

Muonagor played the father of two mischievous, flamboyant teenagers in two of his most well-known roles. Throughout his career, he starred in scores of films, including Paw Paw and Aki.

Facebook user "Aki and Pawpaw movie is still fresh in my memory," said. He gave us a lot of entertainment."

He received a nomination for Best Actor at the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards.

The first time the public learned about the actor's health problems was in November of last year when local media reported that a family claimed he had renal disease.

The passing of Mr. Ibu and Muonagor earlier this month brought attention to a serious issue with Nollywood actors' healthcare.

Actors receive their salary on a per-film basis; many are not covered by health insurance or have consistent income.

Not all performers have enrolled, despite the Actors Guild of Nigeria claiming to have secured insurance coverage for the sector.