Filmmaker Niyi Akinmolayan stated on the social media platform X on Friday that the Nigerian film industry lacks the capability to develop its streaming platforms comparable to Netflix and Prime Video. The 41-year-old emphasized that simply expressing the desire to create platforms like Netflix and Prime Video without proper systems in place is not a feasible strategy.
In response to a user named Jamal Sheeth, who suggested that optimism is born out of hope and insisted that Nigeria can build its streaming platforms, Akinmolayan maintained his position, stating that the country currently lacks the necessary systems to make it happen.
This discussion unfolded after Prime Video’s decision to reduce funding and cease commissioning films faced criticism from Nollywood stakeholders. According to a report by Variety, the streaming platform chose to scale back its investment and resources in Africa and the Middle East, focusing more on European originals. This move by Prime Video means that it will no longer fund original content from Nigeria and will stop commissioning new content in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa.
African and Nigerian films commissioned by Prime Video, such as Jadesola Osiberu’s “Gangs of Lagos” and Funke Akindele’s “She Must Be Obeyed,” would mark the end of original content for many African subscribers on the platform. Nollywood practitioners expressed their disappointment, with Mykel Parish Ajaere, a filmmaker, attributing the challenges faced by streaming platforms in Africa to piracy.
