Nollywood producer cum actor, Kunle Afolayan, has clarified his statement implying that internationally renowned streaming platform, Netflix has stopped commissioning Nigerian original content.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the filmmaker 2024 Zuma International Film Festival in Abuja said that Netflix’s management had informed filmmakers during a recent party that they would no longer fund Nigerian movies.
He further described the latest development as a big blow, adding that the move by the streaming giant would significantly affect the income of producers who invest heavily in filmmaking.
Afolayan’s comment had sparked controversy on social media platforms with many interpreting it as “Netflix leaving Nigeria”.
However, in a recent interview on Channels TV, Afolayan clarified that his statement was misinterpreted, adding that he did not mean Netflix would stop funding Nigerian films entirely but was corroborating Victor Okhai’s claim about the potential impact of Netflix leaving Nigeria.
The 50-year-old producer revealed that his initial comment was intended as a “wake-up call” for filmmakers, emphasising the need for alternative distribution platforms.
“If Netflix parks and leaves, of course, it is going to affect all of us. I was addressing some of the government officials who were there at Zuma because Victor Okhai who is the moderator was a voice in the Nigeria film industry. I was not at the event he was talking about. I was not privy to whatever conversation must have happened there,” he said.
“I think there is a bit of a change in the structure and mode of operation. And this is open to people who supply them with films.
“The last time they were here, we had a meeting, they were still reassuring us, saying, look, we are still here. We are going to do stuff but we might not be able to do the kind of volume that we used to do.
“What I was emphasizing is that even if Netflix say they are not doing enough, or taking as many films as they should, why shouldn’t we as a country come up with other distribution platforms? Just like other people put up their films on YouTube.
“I never said Netflix is leaving Nigeria. What I said was we just shot two seasons of ‘Anikulapo’ and I heard some people who were not quick enough to make their films say they can’t shoot again because they are cutting down on numbers.
“We have a relationship that we have built over the years. I give them good content and we will continue to give them as long as they are here.”
Netflix had earlier said “we are not exiting Nigeria. We will continue to invest in Nigerian stories to delight our audience”.