Nollywood too dey rush scripts? Investor talk say 90% no get proper development

E don clear why some Nollywood films dey feel like say dem just rush am. According to Adekunle Adebiyi, an Executive Director for Investments at MBO Capital Management Limited, a whole 80 to 90 percent of Nollywood films just jump straight into production without any proper script development. Na why we dey see plenty films with k-leg storytelling and shaky production standards, all because money wey go sabi wait no dey.

Adebiyi yarned this tori during an interview on the Drinks and Mics programme. He come explain say Nigeria dey push out roughly two thousand, five hundred films every year, but majority of dem dey move from one first draft of screenplay straight to camera! Imagine! He blame am on say the industry too dey lean on debt financing, which usually covers just production and post-production, leaving the creative parts like script development hungry.

Oga Adebiyi clear am say most financing packages for filmmakers na for production activities, so nothing much dey left for proper creative work. Even MBO Capital, him company, dey mostly give debt financing for production, post-production and marketing. He insist say script development needs equity investment because nobody fit guarantee when or if the money spent on just the script go come back. If filmmakers get more 'patient equity capital', dem go sabi take their time to cook up better stories and characters before dem even shout 'action!'

But e no just end with script money. Adebiyi also point out say reliable ways to distribute films and recover money na big problem for investors. Many times, investors dey lost on how and when dem go see their money back, especially when films dey depend on streaming platforms to buy dem. Plus, the few number of cinemas wey we get for Nigeria no dey help matters for revenue generation.

Even with all these wahala, Adebiyi still say investors dey keen on Nollywood, with MBO Capital dey receive at least one film financing proposal everyday. Na wa! While Nollywood dey among the baddest for film production volume worldwide, getting proper funding frameworks na serious constraint. Small time ago, filmmaker Nora Awolowo don already call for more local investment for the industry, emphasizing say our own financing and production structure go determine if Nollywood go last long. So, before you start vex say a film plot no make sense, just remember say e fit be say dem no even get proper script from the start! Wetin you think? Does this explain some of the movies we've seen lately?