Veteran Nigerian actress Omotola Jalade‑Ekeinde shared this perspective during a recent appearance on the Afropolitan Podcast, where she discussed the structural challenges facing the country’s film industry. According to the actress, the high cost of filmmaking makes it harder for Nollywood to scale globally at the same pace as the music industry.
She explained that producing music typically requires significantly less capital than making films, allowing artists to create and distribute their work more easily across international platforms. The affordability of music production, she noted, has enabled many Afrobeats artists to experiment with creative content that quickly goes viral online.
Jalade-Ekeinde pointed out that the popularity of simple, low-budget music recordings—often created in informal settings—has played a crucial role in the global spread of Afrobeats. Many artists, she said, now record content at home or with friends, relying on authenticity and organic appeal rather than expensive, highly produced music videos.
In contrast, filmmaking demands far more resources. A typical film production involves numerous logistical requirements, including large casts, technical crews, equipment, and location costs. Even a low-budget movie, she said, often requires dozens of people working behind the scenes.
“What is holding Nollywood back is mostly funding,” Jalade-Ekeinde said during the interview. “With music, it is not really as expensive to create. Except if you want to shoot lavish music videos, which are rare these days.”
She further explained that viral, simple ideas often resonate more with audiences than expensive productions in the music space, making it easier for artists to gain global attention.
However, she stressed that filmmaking cannot easily replicate that model due to its complex production demands. “But you can’t do that with film, unfortunately. The cheapest movie would probably still have about 30 cast and crew,” she added.
The actress concluded that stronger financial investment and structured funding will be critical if Nollywood hopes to compete on the same global scale already achieved by Afrobeats artists.