The Founder of Doodle-Film Hub, Yinka Ade-Aluko, has called for the decentralisation of cinema infrastructure and reduction in ticket prices to unlock meaningful economic growth in Nigeria’s film industry.
Ade-Aluko made the call in his analysis of the FilmOne 2025 Box Office Year Book, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos.
He said while Nollywood was globally celebrated for its creativity and output, its exhibition model remained too expensive, narrow and urban-elite focused to deliver significant economic impact.
“The issue is not talent. It is not storytelling, and it is certainly not audience potential.
“The real bottleneck is access,” he said.
According to the FilmOne 2025 Box Office Year Book, Nigeria’s total cinema box office revenue stands at approximately N16 billion.
Ade-Aluko noted that in a country of about 250 million people, with more than 60 per cent under the age of 30, the figure reflected underperformance rather than growth.
He added that attendance data presented an even clearer warning sign, with just 2.3 million total cinema admissions recorded in a year — meaning fewer than one in 100 Nigerians visited a cinema.
Ade-Aluko said Nigerians actively consumed films through streaming platforms, television, mobile devices and informal channels.
“This is not a demand problem.
“This is an accessibility problem,” he said.
He observed that cinema-going in Nigeria had effectively become an urban luxury rather than a mass cultural experience.
On ticket pricing, he said average prices hovered around N7,000, with some cinemas charging up to N15,000, making outings occasional treats rather than routine leisure.
He said for families and students, repeat viewing — critical to box office sustainability — had become financially prohibitive.
“Historically, strong cinema industries thrive on frequent attendance habits.
“High ticket prices disrupt that cycle,” he said.
Ade-Aluko also highlighted a sharp imbalance between production and exhibition, noting that Nigeria reportedly produces around 2,000 films annually, yet only 81 Nigerian titles made it to cinemas within the reporting period.
He described this as evidence of distribution bottlenecks and conservative gatekeeping structures, adding that foreign films, particularly Hollywood and Bollywood releases, collectively outnumbered local titles in Nigerian cinemas.
He warned that limited screen access reduced content diversity, constrained earnings for local filmmakers and weakened the domestic circulation of Nigerian cultural narratives.
Ade-Aluko said infrastructure limitations further restricted growth, with approximately 122 cinemas across Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia combined, adding that most were concentrated in upscale malls and high-income neighbourhoods.
He noted that campuses, semi-urban communities, suburban districts and secondary cities remained underserved.
He recommended building a stronger exhibition ecosystem to generate employment opportunities beyond actors and directors, including projectionists, marketers, hospitality staff, technicians and vendors.
He also pointed to soft power implications, saying nations with strong domestic exhibition systems export culture more effectively, while a weak home exhibition base limits international influence.
Ade-Aluko warned of revenue concentration risks, noting that when a single blockbuster accounts for nearly 10 per cent of annual box office revenue, it signals concentration rather than broad-based industry expansion.
“Excessive revenue concentration increases systemic risk and discourages diversified investment.
“A healthy entertainment economy distributes opportunity widely,” he said.
He proposed decentralised, community-driven cinema models, including community cinemas, campus cinemas and mobile exhibition initiatives.
Rather than expecting audiences to travel to expensive mall-based venues, he said film experiences should reach universities, colleges, suburban districts and emerging urban clusters.
Such models, he said, would allow flexible pricing structures, sponsorship-backed screenings, institutional partnerships and subscription systems that encourage repeat attendance.
He added that expanding exhibition beyond elite urban centres would deepen Nollywood’s cultural roots while broadening its economic reach.
“Nigeria does not lack creative talent, production capacity, or audience appetite. What it lacks is widespread, affordable exhibition infrastructure.
“The future of Nigerian cinema may depend less on how many films are produced and more on how widely they are seen,” he said.
