Several Nigerian film producers who released movies in cinemas this December have accused cinema operators of deliberately frustrating their films through unfavourable screening practices.
The allegations, made by Toyin Abraham, Niyi Akinmolayan, and Ini Edo, center on claims that some cinemas falsely declare films sold out, assign them poor screening times, or restrict them to just one showing per day.
During an Instagram Live session in the early hours of today, Toyin Abraham said her latest film, Oversabi Aunty, was being deliberately sidelined in several cinemas.
“I am not making money. They sell another ticket to people and take them to my movie hall,” Abraham said. “I have a lot of evidence. Some people cannot come out because they are afraid of bullies.”
She alleged that some cinemas assigned her film early morning and late-night screening slots, which she described as commercially damaging. “Some cinemas will give you 10 am and 9 pm. A 10 am showtime, how do you expect it to sell?” she asked.
Abraham further claimed that cinema goers were being told her film was sold out when it was not. “Some people will go to the cinema, you will tell them Oversabi Aunty is sold out and that they can watch another movie, meanwhile Oversabi Aunty is not sold out,” she said.
The actress and producer insisted she had put significant effort into the project. “I produced a good movie. I directed it. I did a lot of content to promote it.”
Film director and producer Niyi Akinmolayan has also raised similar concerns over the treatment of his movie, Colours of Fire. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Akinmolayan accused some cinemas of collecting money for tickets but refusing to screen the film.
“If by end of day you don’t fix up, I am going to name all the cinemas that have Colours of Fire on their website, collected money from people and are refusing to show them the film,” he wrote.
In another post, he warned that he was prepared to publicly identify cinemas and their managers if the situation did not improve. “I already have three and you know yourselves!! If you don’t fix up today, I will post your cinemas and the names of your managers!!!” he said.
Actress and producer Ini Edo also joined the growing outcry, sharing multiple video recordings on her Instagram page of cinema goers complaining about what they described as cinema misconduct.
On her X account, Edo described her experience as draining, especially as a first-time producer. “Nigerian cinemas, this has been exhausting,” she wrote. “As a first-timer, I learned on the go with humility and commitment, yet faced intentional frustration despite the sacrifice and investment poured into this project.”
She added that despite the challenges, she remained hopeful. “But God is bigger than every barrier, bigger than gatekeeping and intimidation,” Edo said.
Though the producers’ complaints were made independently, but these complaints highlight the concerns about how screen time is allocated during peak cinema periods.
December is the most competitive season for Nigerian cinemas, with multiple high-budget films often released simultaneously to capitalise on holiday crowds.
In a related development, cinema goers at Ojaja Cinema in Akure, Ondo state reported that Behind the Scenes, produced by Funke Akindele, went off abruptly while it was being screened. Videos shared online showed disappointed viewers reacting to the interruption.
As of the time of filing this report, Akindele had not issued any statement addressing the incident.
These complaints have once again drawn attention to the power dynamics within Nigeria’s film distribution system and the challenges faced by producers.
