Speaking during a recent appearance on the Nollywood on Radio podcast, Nze offered a strong defence of actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele, whose energetic online promotions have sparked mixed reactions among colleagues and film enthusiasts.
The controversy centres on the increasing use of dance trends and viral content as marketing tools for Nollywood releases. While some critics have described the practice as unprofessional, Nze insisted that artists should be free to deploy any strategy that effectively connects with audiences.
Referencing his experience working with Akindele on Everybody Loves Jenifa, Nze described her as a dedicated professional whose success goes far beyond social media dance clips.
“You are not going to tell people how they promote their movies or push their work,” he said, noting that much of the criticism appears to be directed at Akindele. “For her, it is not about dance. She puts in every tool she has to promote her work.”
According to Nze, Akindele’s marketing approach is part of a broader, carefully structured branding system. He highlighted her collaborations with leading African stylists and prominent content creators, suggesting that observers often focus only on the most visible aspects of her campaigns while overlooking the larger strategy driving box-office returns.
He further argued that measurable cinema numbers reflect the effectiveness of such methods, adding that it would be unwise to dismiss strategies that demonstrably work.
Nze’s remarks come amid a wave of public commentary from other prominent industry figures. Actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde recently described dancing for film promotion as “unprofessional,” while filmmaker Kunle Afolayan and media executive Mo Abudu also expressed reservations during a panel discussion at the Lagos Business of Film Summit.
Abudu acknowledged that she could not market her projects in the same manner as Akindele and Toyin Abraham, both of whom are known for their high-energy, audience-driven promotional campaigns. Afolayan’s comments, in particular, prompted a public response from Akindele, who defended her approach as a necessary adaptation to evolving audience engagement patterns.
As Nollywood continues to expand its global footprint, the discussion underscores a broader question facing the industry: how to balance traditional notions of professionalism with the realities of digital-era marketing.