Nigerian actor, movie producer and director, Kunle Afolayan has described piracy as the biggest obstacle militating against the growth of the motion picture industry in Nigeria.
The multi-talented producer however said movie producers are now exploring the cinema options in a bid to fight piracy and protect their intellectual property.
He disclosed this on Friday while featuring on TVC’s Breakfast show.
Afolayan who was on the show with the President of the Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria, MOPPAN, Abdullahi Maikano, acknowledged that cinema culture came back into the Nigerian movie sector about a decade ago, it has really helped in fighting the activities of the pirates. He added that cinema is a game of number, the more the scrint the more the revenue generated.
He said: “I will say the Nigerian movie industry is living up to its billing. Cinema Culture came back about a decade ago with the Irapada movie. Cinema is a game of number, the more the scrint the more the revenue generated. When I started exploring that option, some producers preferred to have their movies on DVD before the Cinema but now to have it have in Cinema first before exploring the DVD option. And I think it is good.
Afolayan added that although piracy still a big challenge, the return of the Cinema is really fighting the battle and gradually taking the pirates out of business. He recalled his discussions with the minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
“The return of Cinema is helping in fighting our course and gradually pushing out pirates out of business. I recall that my meetings with the honourable minister where I pointed out some of the challenges facing the industry especially Piracy. Although he called the IGP right there but I don’t think something meaningful has come out of it.”
The multi-talented producer however his colleagues to protect their intellectual property to help fight piracy. He urged them to guide against sending their intellectual property via the internet, saying anything and everything can be hacked on internet.
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