Zeb Ejiro Talks About The Challenges Of Nollywood, Slams Actresses For Dating Politicians!
Zeb Ejiro in an interview with
YES! International Magazine has slammed actresses who think they are bigger
than Nollywood just because they are dating politicians. He also spoke about
why Nollywood has not moved forward more than the way it is now.
As one of the pioneers of
Nollywood, what would you say is the greatest challenge facing it?
You know that Nollywood is not
what it used to be in those days. In those days, people can put some few
thousands together and make a movie. Today, if you want to make a blockburster,
you have to be armed with nothing less than N10 million/N15 million. And this
money is not something that you can get by the asking; it’s something that you
need huge investors.
Sometimes I feel sorry for the
Nigerian banks, because they are not doing enough to invest in Nollywood. What
they are doing, they will regret it at the end of the day, because what DSTV
did to the like of NTA, Silverbird and co, that’s exactly what they are going
to do to them. Because what DSTV is doing, what Africa Magic is doing today,
that same proposal we gave to NTA so many years ago. They didn’t bother,
because they looked at the movies as who is gonna watch them outside Nigeria.
But DSTV came and today, Africa Magic is the most watched channel.
If you go to policy makers, their
homes, governors, their television sets are permanently on DSTV. They are not
watching NTA. They only tune to NTA or Nigerian television stations when they
want to listen to news. After that, they switch over to DSTV. So, these are
some of the problems we have in the industry today. Funding is a major thing.
I want to seize this opportunity
to thank President Goodluck Jonathan, because he is the only President that
loves Nollywood. He’s given so much to Nollywood. Mr. President has given N3
billion to Nollywood for capacity building, production and distribution. But
this money is not coming! It’s going to more than one year now since he gave us
this money. This money is there, but the people who are handling the part of
disbursement, I don’t know what is wrong. We’ve attended series of interviews,
we have filled applications; I’m tired! (Laughing). I just pray that the money
will come out as soon as possible.
And I want to give an advise to
my co-producers – when you get a loan, when you get sponsors or you get
funding, please, the job has to be done well so that you open doors for other
people; so that you don’t close that door. Because if it is not properly done,
that door will be closed.
As a star maker and also someone
who is in constant touch with these stars, where do you think that most of them
get it wrong?
See! There are a lot of people
who never dreamt of being what they are today. Suddenly, they found themselves
there. People are running after them. Ah! I need to see you, I need to see you
and all that. They start seeing themselves above God. That’s where they get it
wrong.
The movie industry did not start
with the stars that are there today. It started with others. When we were
talking, we mentioned a name – somebody you saw some days ago in Ikeja trekking
or something. If somebody had told that person that at one time, this is how
it’s gonna be, the person will not believe.
Where they get it wrong is that
they see themselves above God, they see themselves above the industry. People
who suffered to make them who they are, they dump those people, they don’t
respect them. You are doing something today, maybe a child’s naming ceremony,
marriage or whatever, they don’t attend. They don’t come, they don’t need you
anymore! Because the politicians are giving them so much money, the politicians
are buying them cars; female politicians are buying the male stars cars, homes
and what have you. The male politicians are buying the female ones whatever
they want. So, suddenly, they don’t need the producer anymore.
They can even make bigger movies
than you now because one politician will give them N100 million and you are
looking for N15 million to do a blockbuster. So, suddenly, they find out that
they are bigger than you. Not just you; they are bigger than the industry. They
start to equate themselves with God and forget that these politicians will only
use you while you are the reigning star. They will flock around you for that
period of time. Immediately somebody else springs up, they will dump you and go
to that person.
I know a lot of these stars that
are now calling me to say Zeb, I heard you are doing something, you are not
calling us. Why? Because they are not getting jobs anymore; they are not
relevant anymore; the politicians are not giving them money anymore, because
the politicians have now seen younger people that they are frolicking with. I
think the banes of the movie industry are the Nigerian politicians. That’s the
truth!
