By Abigail Philip
Nigerian comedian and filmmaker, Basketmouth, has criticized Nollywood producers for allegedly mismanaging funds provided by global streaming platforms, claiming this malpractice has adversely affected the quality of Nigerian films.
In a recent interview on Arise TV, the entertainer alleged that many producers have squandered large portions of the budgets allocated for movie production, using the funds for personal enrichment rather than filmmaking. He stated that only a fraction of the allocated money is used for actual production.
“When the streaming platforms came in, they gave money to these producers,” Basketmouth said. “They would take $1.5 million or whatever amount and use just about 10% of that money to make the movie.”
He further claimed that streaming platforms, upon discovering these alleged financial irregularities, began paying actors directly to ensure transparency. However, producers reportedly found ways to bypass this system, pressuring actors to return part of their earnings.
“Even when the streaming platforms decided to pay actors directly, these producers would go behind the scenes and demand that the actors return half of their pay. This can be verified anywhere,” he added.
Basketmouth argued that such practices have severely undermined the quality of Nollywood productions, with some big-budget films appearing substandard.
“When you misuse funds, you can’t expect your movie to be 100%. It’s impossible,” he said. “These producers take the money, buy houses, buy cars, and that’s why some of our epic films look like stage plays.”
The filmmaker’s remarks have sparked conversations about accountability and transparency in Nollywood’s funding and production processes.
