He wrote: “Netflix didn’t leave Nigeria because of the economy, so let’s not get it twisted.
It left because of greed and dishonesty among us. We’re often our own worst enemies.
Here’s the reality: Netflix would offer millions to a producer to make a film, but instead of using that money properly, the producer would pocket most of it and pay the crew next to nothing.
Eventually, Netflix realized what was happening and decided to cut out the middleman. They said, “We’ll pay the crew directly. Producer, just take this amount of money for the production itself and make us a great film.”
But the producer, still determined to get their cut, would secretly tell the crew, “Netflix is paying you X amount, but here’s the account number to send part of it back.” You had to agree to send a certain amount back in order to be employed by the producer.
And what could the crew do? Hunger dey, so they had no choice but to comply.
It wasn’t just the crew who got taken advantage of—actors were also exploited. The whole thing is a long, sad story. It’s why even Amazon pulled out too.
It’s heartbreaking, but it’s a harsh reality of how greed can destroy us and it doesn’t look like we care or are ready to change.
I hope that, wherever we are, we all choose to do better and be better. We deserve so much more in Nollywood.”
