The year 2024 saw a number of events that had both negative and positive impacts on the Nigerian entertainment industry. LEADERSHIP Weekend reviews a few that had significant impact on the industry.
The Death Of Actor Junior Pope :
The death of Nollywood actor Junior Pope (nee John Paul Odonwodo) on April 10, 2024, drew negative attention to the world’s third largest film industry.
The 42-year-old actor, alongside 3 crew members, drowned in River Anam, Anambra State, while filming The Other Side of Life produced by Adamma Luke.
Producer Luke, said that the actor alongside the production manager and Director of Photography (DOP) were offered life jackets, but that the actor refused to wear his because it was dirty. She, however, did not state whether the lower members of the film crew were given a life jacket.
The incident not only led to the suspension of The Other Side of Life filming, and a No Shoot on all locations nationwide on Thursday, the next day April 11, by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), in commemoration of the actor. More importantly, it exposed the absence of basic safety measures that faced by Nollywood actors on most filming set.
However, ten months past Pope’s death who was the only child of his parents and the father of three very young boys, the industry is yet to answer the call for the creation of film regulatory body, to oversee safety in every filming location across the country.
The Very Public Online Diss Between Wizkid And Davido :
On April 29, 2024, Nigerians witnessed a very public online diss between Wizkid and Davido. There have been allegations of a feud between the two, but the insinuations became a reality that day.
Wizkid kicked off the diss by accusing Davido and his songwriter as delusional ‘to think they are better than him”. Davido responded saying, “We are not delusional. You are a sick man.” Wizkid then posted a video meme of Davido crying and laughing. The other retorted that he will not jeopardize his USD endorsement on someone whose career resurrected only to die again.”
It was brutal. But it wasn’t always like this. The actors had collaborated years before to produce songs as My Way and Feel (Remix).
Reasons for their beef, were tabled to several reasons: first, was Davido’s absence at Wizkid’s mother‘s funeral a year, a personal loss that affected him deeply. There was also singer, Tiwa Savage’s video message, where urged the public to hold Davido accountable should anything happen to her and her family. Tiwa who had filed a petition with the Police in Lagos, said she had received a direct threat from the ‘Fall’ singer for posting a photo of herself and the singer’s baby mama, which led to the singers unfollowing each other on social media. With Wizkid accusing Davido of intimidating others with his wealth. Finally, there was the Puma endorsement deal, which was part of the several international deals initially offered to Wizkid but instead signed by Davido who reportedly secured higher pays.
‘Mai Martaba’ Making 2025 Oscars Longlist:
Nigeria made history when Mai Martaba an epic northern Nigeria based film made the Oscars 2025 longlist.
Produced by Prince Daniel, a Nigerian radio producer and filmmaker, the film is set in a fictional, patriarchal Kingdom of Jallaba, political intrigues, power mongering and greed come to play in ‘Mai Martaba’ (Your Highness) when ruling King Sanaya, nominates his daughter, princess Sangaya, as his successor.
This is the first time any Nigerian film made the longlist in the Oscars, in particular, the International Feature Film category. The last two times Nigeria submitted in the category with Lionheart in 2019, and Mami Water (in 2019), both failed to pass the first selection.
However, Mai Martaba didn’t make it past the second selection, which left only Senegal’s Dahomey as the last Africa country in the list of 15 films vying for the Best International Feature Film Awards.
Everybody Loves Jenifa (The Movie) & Christmas Song:
Besides shattering the Nigerian cinema box office last year with her film, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ which released around the holidays season, Funke Akindele went on to pull another history maker, with the film adaptation of her Everybody Loves Jenifa television series, Everybody Loves Jenifa, The Movie.
Featuring veteran and contemporary popular Nollywood stars, Jide Kosoko, Patience Ozokwor, Nancy Orjime, Stanley Eze, Adedimeji Lateef, Jackie Appiah, singer – Falz, and comedian Layi Wasabi among others.
She raised the bar a notch higher with the release of what netizens has tagged Nigeria’s Christmas song ‘Everybody Loves Christmas’ which features not just the entire film cast, but also singers like Niniola, On-Air-Personality (OAP), Bisola Aiyeola, and Dbanj, and Akindele herself singing.
Netflix Exiting Nigeria Controversy:
At the Zuma International Film Festival (ZIFF) held December 2024, a comment by filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, led to misconstrued allegations that global film streaming platform, Netflix is exiting Nigeria.
The controversy started when President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Dr Victor Okhai revealed at the ZIFF, that Netflix had halted the acquisition and funding of Nigerian films a month before (November).
The rumour escalated with an interview granted by Comedian Basketmouth who blamed the platform’s decision on Nigerian producer who only spend a small percentage of funds from Netflix on filming, and the majority of it on flashy cars, material things and in buying homes in Nigeria.
However, Netflix denied plans to leave Nigeria, reiterating its commitment to Nigeria’s creative industry. Afolayan also cleared the air stating that the platform is scaling back on original productions in Nigeria, as well as adjusting its funding and operational structures.
The move, the filmmaker said should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ for Nigeria to not only rely on global streaming platform rather innovate viable alternative local distribution platform/channels, whilst working with international ones.
Netflix collaboration with Nollywood kickstarted in 2016 where it signed several deals for the production of original movies with several Nigerian filmmakers. While Afolayan confirmed that the platform cancelled some local productions commissioned alongside his organization’s three film project’s, he said “Netflix has assured us that they are still here, though they might reduce the volume of projects they fund.”
Of the 1.6 million subscribers of Netflix in Africa, Nigeria accounts for 10.5 percent, while South Africa takes the lead with 73.3 percent. African subscribers to the platform is estimated to rise to 2.2 million in the next five years.
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