A Nigerian digital creator, blockchain expert, and educator, Eric Gugua, has condemned the continued harassment of online entertainers by security agents, calling for an end to such practices in the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Youth Forum on Thursday, Gugua emphasised the need for policies that protect creatives and recognise their contributions to the digital economy.
“In terms of protection, creators go through a lot of stuff. This is a space that is still growing.
”In terms of protection, policies need to come into place that particularly take people in this space into consideration.
“We have got to see that the government is not just saying we are supporting this, rolling out initiatives and audio promises like that, ” he said.
Gugua highlighted the challenges faced by content creators, including harassment by law enforcement agents and locals while shooting content.
“When creators go out to shoot content, they are constantly harassed. If it is not from people in the locality, it is from law enforcement (agents),” he added.
Meanwhile, Nollywood filmmaker Niyi Akinmolayan attributed the withdrawal of international movie streamers like Netflix and Amazon from the Nigerian market to the devaluation of the naira.
“The reason they left was because of the devaluation of the naira and the fact that it didn’t make any sense to be paying the amount they are paying for licence and it became a big deal,” Akinmolayan said.
Akinmolayan lamented the lack of government support for the film industry, particularly in cushioning the effect of the streamers’ withdrawal.
“When the big streamers pulled out of the market, the Netflix and Amazons, we the filmmakers just woke up and saw emails and we were like, ‘This isn’t just some random companies, the government is aware, the government tax these people, how come the government isn’t even aware of some of these changes because that made a big shift of how we are now doing the productions that we are doing?’”
Akinmolayan also criticised the government for not engaging with creators to understand their needs and find ways to grow the industry.
“The government didn’t do anything to caution that. Typically, people will make films and they know that there is a revenue stream that is coming down the line but that is gone.”
