Kunle Afolayan Raises Alarm Over Film Village, Says He Has Spent Over ₦8 Billion Without Government Support

Nigerian filmmaker and producer Kunle Afolayan has raised concerns over the state of infrastructure at his film village, saying the facility still lacks electricity despite the huge personal investment he claims to have made in developing the project. According to Afolayan, he has spent more than ₦8 billion of his own money on the film village, yet government support has remained largely absent.

The filmmaker’s complaint has reignited debate about the difficulties facing Nigeria’s creative industry, particularly when private individuals attempt to build large-scale infrastructure for film production. While Nigeria continues to promote Nollywood as a major economic and cultural export, Afolayan’s claim suggests that some private-sector projects still struggle with basic infrastructure that should make production easier.

“No Electricity” Despite Billions Invested

Afolayan’s biggest concern appears to be the lack of reliable electricity at the film village. For a facility designed around filmmaking and production, the absence of power creates an ironic situation: a place built to help Nigerian filmmakers tell bigger stories is reportedly struggling to keep the lights on.

The filmmaker’s reported ₦8 billion investment also puts the issue into perspective. Even though the exact breakdown of the expenditure and the extent of government engagement would require independent verification, Afolayan’s statement highlights the enormous financial burden private investors can face when developing creative-industry infrastructure.

Afolayan Questions Government Support for Nollywood

The complaint also touches on a much larger conversation about government responsibility toward Nigeria’s creative economy. Nollywood has become one of the country’s most recognisable cultural industries, but filmmakers frequently point to infrastructure, financing, electricity, distribution and production costs as major obstacles to growth.

For Afolayan, the frustration is particularly striking because he says the investment has largely come from his personal resources. His remarks have therefore raised a simple but uncomfortable question: if a filmmaker can reportedly invest billions of naira in a major film project but still cannot secure basic electricity, what does that say about the support available to Nigeria’s creative entrepreneurs?

Afolayan’s statement is likely to keep the conversation around Nollywood infrastructure and government support alive. Whether his call will result in concrete intervention—or another round of promises without the lights coming on—remains to be seen. OGM News NG will continue to follow the story and bring readers updates as more details emerge.