Weekend Arena - The Netflix Swag In Nollywood

If there is any adaptive business model in Nigeria that is worth emulating, I think it is Nollywood. Forget the noise about when it actually started, but the system that evolved in 1992 or thereabout, with the phenomenal, ‘Living in Bondage’, still represents the spirit that has been driving that industry even in today’s Netflix era. 

I have spoken in many forums that the first need, Nollywood satisfied, aside from entertainment was playing the role of the investigative journalist without verifiable facts. People were speaking in hush tones that becoming rich in the contemporary Nigerian society as was presented then, had spiritual influences; and so came the suspicion of the wealth of every emerging millionaire. And in a flash, the Okey Ogunjiofors and Kenneth Nnebues came up with a film 'Living In Bondage' (we can call it a home video because of the poor visual quality sha) which attempted an explanation, giving such assumptions wings to fly.

 Today, if you are rich and give money out freely, people would usually ‘bind’ the gift in their minds as they are receiving them.

 Living in Bondage, became a success and like everything Nollywood, everybody jumped in with his or her version of the spiritual-money yarn. The trend has transitioned through themes, and we have seen when it was ‘setting up a church for profits’ in Endtime, to epic stories in Igodo and to when what mattered was to affix the word ‘tear’ in the titles: Tears Forever, Tears of Love, Tears From Heaven, Tears for Money. The idea was just to ‘tear’ up your movie title. The mentality of the industry drivers was behind this.



If a film was successful, everyone involved was also a success from the producer to the writers, directors to the actors and to the ‘waka-pass’ emergency actors.

 The sponsors would call the producer of any successful movie and tell him he would double the production budget if he could replicate exactly what he did in Movie X for Chief A for him. He would want the same cast and crew and even a similar storyline, as if every creative idea can be gauged by the same parameters.


Ever since Genevieve Nnaji debuted as a director with Lion Heart, (which has recorded lots of feats, including being the first Nigerian production to be wholly acquired by Netflix) there appears to be a shift from cinemas to what can land a deal with Netflix. 

The corona virus pandemic, which has seen Netflix soar in business, has exacerbated it and as if the content-streaming company was reading the pulse of Nollywood, they have launched Netflix Naija, to harness that effect. 

At the moment, the gist is that some productions aimed at filling the gap for the company are ongoing in Nigeria and beyond and people are proffering that it would help take Nollywood to global audiences.

 I see a trend where the filmmakers would be striving to satisfy that Netflix market, which are in the main Nigerians living abroad, who have all the facilities to enjoy online video streaming. 

In March 2020, the number of subscribers hovered around 55k, this may have increased fairly with the lockdown in various locations, but even at 200k, does that equate to global audiences over and above the millions of potential Nollywood fans in Nigeria?

Like everything Nollywood, the Netflix fad will leave some sour notes. 

First and foremost, only filmmakers who are the most-connected (not necessarily the most competent) will benefit from this gesture, which may in no time lead to a glut, like we witnessed when the cable TV services came on board.

 In that case, expect the amount of money, Netflix is offering to acquire works today to fall when supply will overshoot the demand for such contents. Expect also that some ‘sharp guys’ will use it to defraud others. Of course, some will be urged to part with some money to get their works on Netflix, and film sponsors would be wooed with that Netflix line, carefully interwoven in the narrative of the proposal, oral and written.



I can bet, it will also change the way some actors see one another, while creating a false sense of self-worth for some artistes in the industry. Of course, Nigerian actors do not like to lag behind. They can show for Africa, and this will elicit questions like ‘how many of your works are on Netflix?’

 For the wannabe acts, especially the females, be sure to have some of them ‘bend overboard’ (you know what I mean?) to impress that producer or director who will get them to feature in a Netflix Original. For those who will make it, I can bet they will screenshot such scenes for use as profile photos on Instagram and other social media platforms. 

It would not matter if the actor just did one or two scenes or if the only sign of her participation in the movie is her waving hand…it is one of her films and you must give her the credit.

*Hmmmm Ngozi your implications is not lost on me..So you are implying that some Nollywood actress engage in 'Script for hand,back for ground'?Please next time mention names if you have the liver...Or you want someone to EPP you?I have always said it that men with big bum bum no get liver at all...

This is a nice write up and you so hit the nail on the head that i would have to rename you 'Netflix babalawo' for this week's arena.

Let us meet next week (In da oza room?)