Nigerian media personality and business mogul, Mojiola Abudu, better known as Mo Abudu, has debunked allegations circulating on social media that a certain group in Nollywood is collaborating with cinema owners to reduce the screening time of certain movies.
Speaking on ARISE TV, Mo Abudu emphasised that cinema operations are guided by audience demands and business considerations rather than personal preferences or favouritism.
Joining the conversation, veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, noted that concerns about unfair practices in the Nigerian movie industry have become increasingly common.
“I have heard these things; people have been saying this. Actors themselves have come out to say this has happened to them. And there are some fans too who corroborate these stories, confirming that some people convinced them to watch one movie apart from the movie they came to see,” Omotola said.
In response, Mo Abudu said, there’s no commercial advantage to such things, because if cinemas restrict screenings or discourage audiences from watching particular films, they would run at a loss.
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Abudu cited EbonyLife Cinemas, which she owns, as an example, stating that the company prioritises filling seats to maximise return on investment.
She said, “I can’t speak for all the cinemas, but I can certainly speak for EbonyLife Cinemas. It’s not true. We run a professional business. Our return on investment depends very heavily on making sure that we have people sitting in every single cinema.
She further explained that screening schedules are adjusted based on performance, with cinemas balancing creative considerations with operational costs like electricity and staff salaries.
“It is in our interest to ensure that every cinema is full. We have five cinemas in EbonyLife. We do about 30 screenings a day. That’s about 900 screenings in a month. There is plenty of space.”
Addressing complaints about peak-hour slots, she said audience demand does not always align with expectations. “Even if you say people prefer peak hours, and they get 50% of that, that’s still about 450 screenings in a month,” she said.
“When your film is in our cinema, and it has no audience, and I am running air conditioning and paying staff, and you only have two or three people in a 100-seater cinema, by next week we are going to have a conversation,” she said. “That time slot can no longer really work.”
“There is no sentiment to anybody being in the cinema space,” Abudu added.
Referencing a film produced by her daughter, Temidayo Abudu, which was removed from cinemas due to poor turnout, she said, “My daughter had a film in the cinema last year. When it wasn’t performing, we had to move the film out. So there is no sentiment,” she said.
“This is about return on investment. It does not matter who owns the film. If I, Mo Abudu, make a film and we are not able to fill up the seats, it’s going to give way to the next film that can,” she added.
