Nigerian filmmaker and actor Kunle Afolayan has spoken about the growing trend of filmmakers moving away from cinema and television to streaming platforms such as YouTube.
Speaking in an interview, Afolayan attributed the shift largely to Nigeria’s challenging economic situation and fluctuations in the foreign exchange market.
The filmmaker suggested that many of those now producing content for YouTube are motivated by the financial benefits available on the platform. He argued that a significant improvement in the exchange rate could see some filmmakers return to traditional platforms, indicating that the current economic realities are a major factor driving the industry’s migration to YouTube.
“Nigerian filmmakers are rushing to YouTube because of the dollar exchange rate. At N1,400 to $1, they celebrate 1 million views because it can bring in about $10,000. But if the dollar falls to N200, everyone will run away from YouTube,” he stated.