Nollywood star Funke Akindele is taking a stand against the growing menace of piracy in the Nigerian film industry, calling on her fans and the public to play an active role in safeguarding the future of local cinema.
In a heartfelt plea shared on social media late last night, Akindele voiced her concerns about the impact of illegal recording and distribution, urging Nigerians to reject piracy.
With the release of her highly anticipated film, ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’, just around the corner, the actress turned filmmaker emphasized the significant toll piracy is taking on the industry.
In her message, Akindele highlighted how easy it has become for people to record movies during cinema screenings and illegally distributing them online.
She sadly expressed her frustration over how these actions not only harm filmmakers financially but also devalue the hard work and creativity that goes into producing a film.
“Recording clips at the cinema is piracy!!! Please stop it. Piracy is destroying us,” she emphasized, while stressing that such acts are a direct assault on the labor of everyone involved in the production process.
“I put so much effort into this project. Please, I’m begging you, don’t support piracy.”
The actress also underscored the far-reaching consequences of piracy for the Nollywood ecosystem, noting that it affects not only the box office but also the growth of the industry as a whole.
“Piracy undermines the investments made by filmmakers, and when this continues, it becomes difficult to produce quality content,” she explained.
To curb this lingering issue, Akindele revealed that her team has put in place robust security measures to protect ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ during its theatrical release.
These measures will include increased surveillance at cinemas and legal action against those caught in the act of piracy. She urged moviegoers to respect intellectual property rights and support Nollywood films through legitimate channels.
Funke Akindele’s passionate stance also revealed that the battle against piracy is not just the responsibility of filmmakers and authorities, but also the public.
As Nollywood continues to thrive, it will take collective effort to ensure that its success is not overshadowed by the devastating effects of piracy.
“If you want to take videos and pictures, you can do so by the picture stand or lounge before going into the theater”, she suggested.
