Rattled by Pandemic, Protests, Nigeria’s Film Industry Looks to Rebound

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When Nigerian cinemas reopened in September after a months-long lockdown, Moses Babatope, co-founder of the distributor and production company FilmOne Entertainment, began looking ahead to a busy f…

, co-founder of the distributor and production company FilmOne Entertainment, began looking ahead to a busy fall season that could get the local industry back on track.

But days later, Nigeria erupted in nationwide protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a notorious police unit with a long record of brutality, eventually leading to wider demonstrations against corruption and police violence. Security forces turned on peaceful protesters, killing at least 56 people. During the ensuing unrest, three state-of-the-art cinemas owned by FilmOne’s sister company, Filmhouse, were destroyed by looters.

After a string of record-setting years at the box office, the Nigerian industry has taken a hit of up to 8 billion naira during the six-month pandemic lockdown, a 60%-70% drop from 2019. “It’s been a tough, tough, tough year,” says Joy Odiete, CEO of leading distributor Blue Pictures Distribution. Industry groups have called on the government for support, but in spite of the dire situation, Nigerian officials “did not understand the importance of getting the cinemas up and running.

Following the success of “Fate of Alakada” , the beleaguered cinema industry is hoping that Nollywood can extend it a lifeline. “We used to be a market that depended solely on Hollywood,” says Babatope. “But … this is a real opportunity for high-quality Nigerian films to stand up.”

 

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