YouTube Nollywood: Is It Killing The Industry Or Helping? (The Ugly Truth)


Have you noticed that there is a YouTube Nollywood gold rush? This gold rush is responsible for the flood of low-quality, bland and repetitive content. There is an enormous shift in the traditional process of film making and distribution. For Nollywood to thrive in this digital age, we must ask ourselves–Is YouTube doing more harm to Nollywood than good? In this editorial, we are going to dig deep into the pros and cons of YouTube in the Nollywood industry. The future of Nollywood depends on valuing its art beyond the clicks.  

Let Us Begin First By Pointing Accusing Fingers At The Marketer’s 

If you belong to Gen Alpha, you probably have no idea who these marketers are. In the days of Cassette and even CD’s there was a syndicate of marketers who doubled as executive producers and didn’t want actors to promote their movies themselves in any way. It was so bad that they placed a levy of 500k on you as an actor to join the “Idumota-Marketers of Nigeria” (I just made that up). This was a time when the budget for an entire movie can be 800k. These marketers also championed Piracy and frustrated the efforts of actors. That is why some of our old, old veteran actors are just making the income they deserve in recent times.

Then your cassette can sell up to 5 million copies, but the marketers will only tell you that they sold 300k copies. Nollywood is yet to win her battle against Piracy and exploitation from so-called movie marketers. Remember when Kunle Afolayan went on a full rant on twitter (X) raining curses on these Pirates? It was in April 2015 after the release of his movie- ‘October 1st. Piracy still exists, but it isn’t as brutal as before because of Tekinologia. A random person can shoot content in his home and make money off it. The rigid traditional process of producing, directing and distributing has been broken down to 

Follow The Money 

On March 7th 2025, The Omoni Oboli TV channel uploaded a movie titled: ‘Love In Every Word’ starring: Uzor Arukwe, Bambam, Osereme Inegbenebor, Daniel Rocky, Thelma Nwosu etc. The popular “Achalugo” movie has garnered over 25 million views. $35120.06 approx 54 million naira – $87800.15 approximately 137 million naira (This calculation is by a YouTube Money Calculator) Can we blame them for chasing the bag? If it is me, I will do the same. 

However, we need to understand first that YouTube wasn’t the only streaming platform Nigerian actors considered when trying to curb Piracy, globalize their movies and get the bag. We have Netflix and Prime. Before Netflix became this diluted, you all know that the kind of movies that go on Netflix are the “standard” movies. Movies with a huge budget, good story line and exceptional acting. Remember, in 2018, when Netflix bought the right to stream Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ movie for a whooping $3.8 million? Now remember how some of our Nollywood actors were trying to farm that Netflix money? Well, the budget for producing a single Netflix movie can get you ten to twenty YouTube Movies in less than two months. 

And with movie tickets now a luxury and even Netflix Subscription as relatively expensive, film makers are veering to YouTube as a cheaper alternative to distribute movies directly to consumers. 

Now, as an actor, doubling as a movie producer, you shoot a movie with a little budget probably in your parlor or a service apartment in Lekki (like they usually do). And since YouTube has no specifications on the types of cameras to be used, quality of costumes or the language mixes, anything goes. You shoot a movie in three to five days. Post production can be done in 12 hours and you upload on a weekend when majority is at home so you’ve got over a thousand views in less than thirty minutes. Remember also that you’re also maintaining ownership rights to your movie and you’re making money. 

Speaking of Money, According to an analysis by BusinessDay, Omoni Oboli’s TV has pulled in 182 million views since int’s creation in 2023 with a YouTube’ average revenue estimate of between $182,000 and $910,000 (this is just an estimate try convert am to Naira first) 

As of the time of filing this report, Georgina Ibeh TV uploaded a movie starring Bimbo Ademoye, Kachi Nnochiri, Shan George just 16 hours ago. The movie has 206,501 views. Title: Abeni (The Movie)  Estimate Amount: $326.08 – $815.20

A movie titled, ‘Two Can Play The Saint’ which stars Bimbo Ademoye, Uju Okoli was uploaded some hours ago on June 12, 2025 and has garnered 89,059 views. Estimate Amount  $135.22 – $338.04

Another movie titled ‘Hearts aligned’ which features Maurice Sam, Kenechukwu Ezeh was uploaded June 12, 2025 on NollyFamily tv and has 39,849 views. $65.45 – $163.63 

Even our veteran actor Kanayo O. Kanayo features on a YouTube Nollywood movie titled ‘Pain To Petals’ released 16 hours ago on IyaboOjotV. The movie has 38,907 views. $59.50 – $148.74

The latest from Maurice Sam is ‘Ten Days in A Brothel’ that features Nancy Isime and Maurice Sam. Released 2 days ago and has over 2 million views. $2870.80 – $7177.00

And just recently Toyin Abraham dusted the cobwebs off her 2019 opened YouTube Channel and has since began to upload movies too. Her recent movie uploaded on her TV — Toyin Abraham TV has over 1.7 million views. The movie ‘Our wife’ which is a production from the Toyin Abraham Films Academy features Toyin Abraham, Deyemi Okanlawon, Rotimi Salami, Bianca Ugwonne and Bukola Osibowale. $2320.49 – $5801.23

What then can we gather thus far? 

How YouTube is DUMBING DOWN Nollywood

I am one of those who feel YouTube is not a realistic channel because it restricts you from showing what you can do in the technical area.  – Kanayo O. Kanayo (From The Honest Bunch Podcast) 

I feel like YouTube is like a Ponzi Scheme. It is a dig in while it is here avenue. Are we moving forward in terms of injecting cash into the industry? Yes. But in terms of creating quality movies and advocating for growth, I think we are just retrogressing in the aspect. We are going back to the days of movies being produced in Just 4 or 5 days

– Jidekene Achufisi (culled from Arise News Interview

The first reason why I think YouTube is dumbing down on Nollywood is that it reduces the cinematic quality and feel you get in a movie because of it’s rules.

YouTube is automatically P.G rated and it is a Family-friendly platform. According to the platform’s rules you can not depict schoolyard fights between minors. You can not depict beatings or brawls outside the context of professional or professionally supervised sporting events. You also cannot include images involving road accidents, terrorist attack aftermath, street fights, physical attacks, robberies. In fact, you can not display footage showing bodily fluids such as blood or vomit with the intent to shock or disgust viewers. No explicit sexual content, no depiction of suicide or eating disorders, no depiction of any form of self-harm and no profane language. Imagine if YouTube is the only streaming platform, it would have deprived the world of several bloodbuster movies like the recent ‘Sinner’ movie. 

The YouTube rules confines the creativity of a producer to the cage of only producing “Love Movies” 

Most of the films you watch as American movies or whatever. You see how a bullet pierces through someone’s flesh. That is creativity. YouTube can not allow you to explore your creativity and this doesn’t represent the original creativity we are practicing in Nollywood 

Nollywood YouTube Has Reduced our creativity to Love, Love, Mushy, Mushy and Stereotypical Puny Stories

There is always a sharp-witted housekeeper, a clown for a gateman and a chief who is buying his way into the heart of the female lead. The rush for clicks and the need to find favor in the sight of the YouTube algorithm has pushed producers into regurgitating weak-ass story lines while sacrificing elements like script development, proper editing and good cinematography.

There is always a dangerous secret, betrayal and Love of course. We always pulled into the ‘dramatic story of sacrifice and choice’ or ‘a web of betrayal, manipulation and deceit.’ I am not making these words up, check them in the description box on YouTube. They often describe their movies as ‘emotional and very educative’ . I often chuckle at the recycled plots, poor writing and unrealistic depiction of our culture. 

Nollywood YouTube Drowns The International Recognition We Are Aggressively Pursuing

Let’s face it, no YouTube Nollywood movie can win an Oscar Award. Scratch that, no YouTube Nollywood movie can even get nominated in The Oscars. The volume of cheap content reduces our ability to compete on a large scale. Although there exists a huge chunk of the Nigerian audience who want to stream Nollywood movies for free on YouTube, we also need others who can focus on the content that can compete with the international standard. If we litter the media space with substandard movies we are only making it harder for quality to rise to the top.

Furthermore, in a bid to gain wide acceptance and also increase views and clicks. Nollywood YouTube is churning out false cultural narratives and negative tropes while erasing the positive values we have as a Nation. Let’s get practical here, you’re watching a YouTube movie, you’re seeing your favorite actors, in the typical Nigerian setting but you’re getting the feeling that you’re watching a low-budget Korean love Story. You get right? We are trying to westernize our own stories. How many rich CEOs have you seen fall in love with the house maid? How many times have you seen an Odogwu swoop in to handle all your financial burdens and marry you? YouTube Nollywood is now a place for fine faces and inexperienced actresses with their BBL’s.  

I am tired of  Seeing Maurice Sam, Bolaji Ogunmola And Uche Montana

Some actors have carved out the YouTube Niche for themselves. You know them, they always play the role of a player or f*ck boy who later falls in love truly, or the side chick who wants to wreck the man’s marriage. Well, we all know that when you’re too much available and you’re everywhere, you begin to lose your importance. That is why there are some actors in this industry who play roles in just two or three movies a year and they kill it. 

Why the heck is everyone having a TV? Are Nollywood actors now competing with Content creators or what? 

Somehow YouTube Is Also Encouraging The Piracy We Are Battling

Have you ever searched for a movie on the said YouTube and you see several results but when you click on it you discover that it is just a clickbait? In fact you must have even watched some unofficial movie uploaded on an unofficial channel. There is a war between the official channels and the Pirates. Pirates be like: no matter where you go, remember the road that will lead you home…. Bode Thomas! Pirate channels upload the ripped versions of YouTube originals. And guess what, we also have YouTube marketers too!

 What Is The Way Forward? 

I feel, every now and then every industry resets itself. I feel Nollywood YouTube is making sure that we have an injection of new talents. If you notice, it feels like a TeenTV. Like what is going on there is mostly for adolescents. 

First we need to acknowledge the harm, we shouldn’t hide under the idea of chasing the bag or eliminating marketers. We need to recognize that this is a problem and we need to face it. Since Industry regulations and Standard checks are the biggest jokes in the Nollywood industry, we can only hope whoever is producing the videos will shoot a standard movie with a good story line. 

Next we should embrace the change that is happening. The young and upcoming actors in Nollywood are passionate about their craft. And this is why I personally love the method Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham and many others are employing. The best students in their film academy get the opportunity to feature in one of the YouTube movies. Although we can spot the amateurish acting from a mile away, we can forgive these newbies because we know they love the craft.

Also, we should curb the clickbaits and misleading thumbnails. The movie should deliver what the title, thumbnail and description box says. 

Dear YouTube Nollywood Producers/Actors. YouTube Money is sweet. But remember that society changes. Another platform can come and displace YouTube. Or your Channell can be banned (oops). What are you going to do? Society is changing and we need to reinvent Nollywood but we shouldn’t destroy what makes Nollywood Nollywood. 

Finally, my wonderful Nollywood Scriptwriters. It is okay to try something new. We have an inexhaustible culture and rich history that can give birth to wonderful stories. We shouldn’t allow YouTube and budget constraints to limit our creativity.