Nollywood faces a heavy blow as it is reported that the international movie streaming platform ‘Netflix’ has announced their cancellation of its Nigerian Originals eight years after it was launched.
According to NollyWire, Netflix ceased operating in Nigeria since November 2024, and had cut off the financial backing that streaming platforms had been providing for Nigerian movie production.
The cancellation of Netflix marks a major setback for Nollywood’s efforts to achieve recognition globally. It’s also a heavy blow to Nigerian filmmakers who had relied on Netflix to bring their stories to international spectators.
Netflix’s Executive in Charge of Licensing Originals David Karanja announced this departure in a goodbye post on LinkedIn.
David Karanja wrote: “While the world is beginning to recognize the power of African voices and stories told by Africans, I believe we are on the brink of a watershed moment for African cinema and television, similar to the leaps we’ve seen in music.”
Comfirming the development, prominent Nigerian Filmaker Kunle Afolayan who spoke at 2024 Zuma Film Festival disclosed that the international streaming platform had ceased commissioning new Nigerian originals.
He also revealed that, he was lucky enough to secure a third season for his hit series ‘Anikulapo’ before Netflix’s decision.
Kunle Afolayan described the recent happening as a big blow to the industry and also as a wake-up call for the movie industry. The filmmaker called on the Nigerian government to invest in Nigerian film industry.