Stories by Vanessa Obioha
Contrary to widespread speculation, streaming giant Netflix has not exited the Nigerian market, according to the Executive Director/CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Husseini.
Husseini, who led a Nigerian delegation to Netflix’s corporate headquarters in Amsterdam last February, clarified in a chat with THISDAY that the company is still active in the country.
“Netflix has not left Nigeria, as widely reported,” he said. “The streaming giant is still licensing Nigerian content and has only taken an investment decision to scale down operations for the time being.”
The delegation, appointed by the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, visited Netflix to discuss the implications of its recent decision to halt commissioning original content in Nigeria and explore mutually beneficial solutions.
Last year, rumours swirled that Netflix had pulled out of Nigeria entirely, allegedly due to unethical practices by some filmmakers. Reports claimed that despite receiving sizable budgets, certain producers delivered subpar content, prompting Netflix to pause—or in some cases, cancel—commissioned projects.
Husseini, however, dismissed these claims. “There is no truth in the story making the rounds that they scaled down their investment because Nigerian producers were alleged to be diverting production resources. Nothing like that. In fact, Netflix looks forward to continued engagements with the industry, reinforcing their role as a key partner in promoting Nigerian films internationally.”
The official report of the Netflix meeting, according to Husseini, will be released by the Minister later this month.
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