By Ayomide Otitoju
Renowned Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has urged the Nigerian government to provide grants to the movie industry, emphasizing that such support is essential for its growth and sustainability. Speaking at the 2024 Zuma Film Festival in Abuja, organized by the Nigerian Film Corporation and the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Afolayan highlighted the challenges faced by filmmakers in Nigeria and called for greater government involvement.
Call for Renewed Government Support
Afolayan lamented that the last significant federal grant for Nollywood came during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan under the Project Nollywood initiative.
“The last time a grant was given by the Federal Government was during Goodluck Jonathan’s period. A lot of people benefited from that. Some used it for their projects, while others misused it for personal gains,” he said.
The filmmaker stressed the need for renewed support, allowing creators to focus on content production rather than grappling with infrastructural deficits.
“We are filmmakers; we are supposed to sit back and just create. But because of gaps and lapses in the industry, some of us have had to go beyond just creating content,” Afolayan added.
Infrastructure Challenges
Afolayan also decried the lack of sustainable power supply, revealing that his production efforts have relied solely on generators for the past three years. He urged the government to invest in green energy solutions to alleviate the burden on filmmakers.
“For three years, we’ve been running on a generator. It is not sustainable. We need incentives or support for alternative energy like solar power to help us operate effectively. This would benefit everyone,” he stated.
Netflix Exit and the Need for Local Distribution
During the festival, Afolayan revealed that an international streaming giant, believed to be Netflix, had exited the Nigerian market in November, a move he described as both a “big blow” and “heartbreaking.”
“It’s devastating. We’ve gone from earning millions in dollars to now wondering where we will showcase our films,” he said.
Afolayan called on Nigerian filmmakers to unite and establish their own distribution platform to mitigate the risks of over-reliance on external entities like Netflix and YouTube.
“Most actors and talents are now forced to become their own distributors through YouTube. But what happens if YouTube introduces policies tomorrow that affect our operations? We need to build our own platform to secure the future of Nollywood,” he urged.
Industry Reactions
Though Netflix has yet to officially confirm its withdrawal from Nigeria, Afolayan and other panelists at the festival suggested that the platform recently informed local creators of its decision to end collaborations in the region.
The development underscores the pressing need for structural reforms and local capacity building in Nollywood to ensure its resilience in the face of external shocks.
