Nollywood Producers May Exit YouTube If Naira Strengthens Against Dollar, Says Kunle Afolayan
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| Kunle Afolayan (Nigerian actor and film producer) |
Acclaimed filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has stated that Nollywood producers may abandon YouTube as a distribution platform if the naira appreciates significantly against the U.S. dollar.
Afolayan made these remarks during an interview with former Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun on the Nidacity Podcast, where he discussed the growing migration of Nollywood content creators to digital platforms.
He explained that the high exchange rate currently serves as the primary financial incentive driving filmmakers to YouTube, noting that a sharp decline in the dollar's value would cause many to desert the platform.
While acknowledging that YouTube offers broad accessibility and flexibility, Afolayan emphasized that major streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video continue to offer superior commercial opportunities.
“YouTube can never give you what Netflix and Prime will give you, right? Never. But it’s the most flexible. It’s for everyone. It’s like a starting point.
“If you don’t have the strength to negotiate or if you don’t have access to the big players, then you just make your film, open an account, and put it there.
“If people watch it, you make your money,” he said.
He noted that producers currently generating substantial returns from high view counts could lose interest if foreign currency earnings yielded lower returns in local currency.
“But look, the reason why people now will say, ‘I’ve hit a million views, I get $10,000,’ is because of the exchange rate. If dollar drops, everybody will run away from YouTube.
“So the attraction right now is the exchange rate because that’s what’s making it more profitable than it possibly is. So, if dollar comes to, say, N200 to $1, people will leave,” he said.
Afolayan maintained that YouTube remains an ideal entry point for emerging filmmakers who lack the leverage or resources to secure contracts with major streaming services, allowing them to independently monetize their work based on audience reach.
Source: NAN
