- Safiu Kehinde
Streaming platform giant, Netflix has debunked claims of its alleged intent to leave Nigeria.
A viral statement by famous Nollywood director, Kunle Afolayan, had on Wednesday sparked the rumors of Netflix’s departure from Nigerian.
However, Netflix dismissed the claims in an email by its public relations firm, Hill & Knowlton Strategies.
Edafe Onoriode, the Group Account Director, reaffirmed the company’s continued support for Nigeria’s creative economy.
“We are not exiting Nigeria. We will continue to invest in Nigerian stories to delight our audience.” He said.
Meanwhile, Afolayan had in the viral statement he made at the 2024 Zuma International Film Festival said that Netflix purportedly cancelled numerous commissioned projects, prompting questions about the company’s long-term commitment to Nollywood.
“Three years ago, when we signed the three-film deal with Netflix, it was really exciting,” Afolayan said.
The filmmaker went on to share that despite the stellar performance of those movies globally, Netflix seemed unimpressed by their returns in Nigeria.
“Thank God we had shot seasons two and three [of Anikulapo] because all the other people that were commissioned with us at the same time were canceled.” Afolayan added.