Nigerian comedian and actor, Bright Okpocha, popularly known as Basketmouth, has revealed that a significant portion of production funds—up to 90%—are often misallocated by producers, with much of the money spent on personal indulgences like cars and houses rather than reinvesting into the film industry.
He pointed out that this financial mismanagement is a key reason behind the declining quality of Nigerian movies.
In a recent interview shared online, he criticized the practice of diverting substantial portions of movie budgets to personal luxuries instead of investing in the production of high-quality films.
Basketmouth did not hold back in pointing out that some of these producers misuse the funding provided by streaming platforms, which often run into millions of dollars.
He said, “There’s a lot of money in the movie industry now, especially with the streaming platforms pumping in funds. But many producers, instead of investing in their projects, spend 90% of the budget on houses, cars, and other personal items. Only about 10% of that money actually goes into the film.”
He lamented the impact of such practices on the quality of Nigerian movies, particularly epic films, which he said often end up looking more like stage plays.
“When you see our epic movies, you can tell the difference,” he explained. “You cannot expect a movie to be 100% when you only spend a fraction of the funds meant for production. The result will always show.”
Basketmouth revealed that the problem has become so glaring that streaming platforms have had to intervene.
“At some point, these platforms decided to pay actors directly because they saw what was happening. But even then, some producers found a way around it, forcing the actors to return part of the payment to them. This is something you can verify.”
He emphasized that if producers used the entirety of their budgets for filmmaking, the industry could reach its full potential.
“When you’re given $1.5 million to make a movie, use it all for the project. That’s how you get quality productions. But unfortunately, some producers prioritize personal gains over the growth of the industry,” he said.
The comedian called on stakeholders to address these issues to ensure the Nigerian film industry can compete globally.
“The money is there; the talent is there. What’s missing is integrity and proper investment. We need to do better if we want our stories to be told and respected worldwide,” he stressed.
