Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has expressed deep concern over the rising tide of piracy in Nollywood, especially as she prepares to release her new movie, Everybody Loves Jenifa, set to hit cinemas on December 13th.
In a passionate plea shared on her social media, Akindele urged Nigerians to say no to piracy, highlighting how it is damaging the film industry.
The actress condemned the act of recording videos in cinemas, which she called piracy, stressing that such actions were severely harming the industry and discouraging creativity.
“I worked so hard on this project, spent a lot of resources, and am still investing in it,” Akindele shared, emphasizing the significant effort involved in bringing the movie to the screen.
She pleaded with her followers to refrain from supporting piracy in any form, as it was undermining the hard work of filmmakers and threatening the future of Nollywood.
“I’m pleading, do not be caught promoting piracy. Piracy is killing us,” she concluded, urging the public to be vigilant in supporting legitimate channels of movie distribution.
Akin to Akindele's concern, last month actor Deyemi Okanlawon also spoke out against piracy.
He shared an incident where a fan requested a pirated copy of his movie, only for another fan to step in, offering free tickets to watch it in the cinema instead.
Okanlawon praised the fan's gesture and reflected on the challenges faced by Nollywood producers, particularly newcomers, who struggle to produce quality films without financial backing.
He expressed hope that more Nigerians would take a stand against piracy and support the local film industry.
As piracy continues to be a major concern for filmmakers, both Akindele and Okanlawon are calling for greater awareness and collective action to protect and promote Nollywood.