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Kunle Afolayan Calls for Government Support to Grow Nollywood

Kunle Afolayan popular Nollywood filmmaker has asked the government to provide grants to help the Nigerian movie industry grow. He said this during the 2024 Zuma Film Festival, organized by the Nigerian Film Corporation and the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

Need for Grants

Kunle Afolayan explained that grants would allow filmmakers to focus on creating movies instead of struggling with financial challenges. He noted that the last time the Federal Government gave grants to Nollywood was during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration under the Project Nollywood Act.

“Some filmmakers used those grants to make the movies they promised, but others wasted the money on buying cars or marrying more wives,” Afolayan said.

He urged the government to provide similar support now to help the industry grow.

Kunle Afolayan also highlighted the challenges of running his production company on generators for the past three years. He said this situation is unsustainable and pleaded with the government to help with alternative energy solutions like solar power.

“We need incentives or support for green energy so we can operate better. This will benefit everyone,” he added.

The filmmaker expressed disappointment about reports that Netflix is no longer working with Nigerian creators. Although Netflix has not officially confirmed leaving the Nigerian market, Afolayan said creators were told the company is ending partnerships in the country.

“It’s heartbreaking. We used to earn in dollars from streaming, but now we’re wondering what to do with our films,” he said.

Call for Local Solutions

Afolayan urged Nollywood to build its own distribution platform to avoid being affected by changes from international platforms like Netflix or YouTube.

“Many actors and filmmakers are creating YouTube channels to distribute their work, but what if YouTube changes its policies tomorrow? We need a platform we control,” he explained.

Afolayan hopes that with the right support, Nollywood can overcome these challenges and continue to thrive.

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