Nollywood can’t build its own Netflix, Prime Video – Niyi Akinmolayan

Filmmaker Niyi Akinmolayan has said the Nigerian film industry cannot build its streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video.

The 41-year-old said this on the social media platform X on Friday.

“People will just open mouth gbola and say “we can build our own Prime and Netflix…they don’t have two heads”. I noticed those people don’t say “we can build our own YouTube” Lol. “Hope” is not a strategy,” he said.

However, an X user identified as Jamal Sheeth countered the statement saying,” But we can. Optimism is the brainchild of hope.”

But Niyi Akinmolayan insisted that “we can’t” adding that Nigeria does not have the systems right now to make it happen.”

This comes after Nollywood stakeholders criticised Prime Video’s decision to cut funding and stop commissioning of films.

According to a report by Variety, the streaming platform decided to downsize and reduce funding and resources allocated to Africa and the Middle East, while concentrating on its European originals.

Prime Video’s move against Africa would mean that it will no longer be funding original content from Nigeria and will halt the commissioning of new original content in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa.

African and Nigerian films like Jadesola Osiberu’s Gangs of Lagos and Funke Akindele’s She Must Be Obeyed which were commissioned by Prime Video would be the last that many of the African subscribers would be viewing on the platform.

According to The Nation, Nollywood practitioners have described the streaming platform’s decision as a sad development for the African film and television industry.

Mykel Parish Ajaere, a filmmaker said he believes piracy is dealing with streaming platforms in Africa.