BY ISSAH OLEGOR
The growing copyright dispute between Nigerian filmmakers and some television broadcasters in Ghana has taken another turn after Nollywood actress and producer Iyabo Ojo accused North East TV of broadcasting her newly released movie, The Memory of You Part 2, without her permission.
Ojo’s complaint adds her name to a growing number of Nigerian filmmakers who have publicly accused some Ghanaian television stations of downloading movies released on digital platforms and subsequently broadcasting them without obtaining licences or compensating the copyright owners.
The Nollywood star alleged that North East TV aired The Memory of You Part 2 less than 24 hours after the movie premiered on her official YouTube channel.
In a video shared on X, Ojo expressed anger over the development, insisting that she had never authorised the Ghanaian station to broadcast the production.
“I didn’t give you permission. I don’t know you,” she said.
According to the filmmaker, she had no previous dealings with the television station and had not entered into any licensing arrangement permitting it to broadcast her movie.
She questioned why a broadcaster should allegedly take a film from her YouTube channel and show it to its television audience without seeking permission from the producer.
We Spend Money Producing These Movies
Ojo argued that the issue went beyond the unauthorised showing of one movie because filmmakers invest significant financial resources and time into producing content before releasing it to audiences.
She pointed to the cost of paying actors and production crews, securing locations, providing accommodation, costumes and makeup, as well as meeting several other expenses associated with producing a professional movie.
For filmmakers who release productions through YouTube and other digital platforms, audience numbers can also translate into revenue that helps producers recover some of their investments.
Ojo therefore argued that when television stations allegedly download and broadcast such films without permission, they risk diverting viewers away from the filmmaker’s authorised platforms and consequently affecting potential earnings.
She warned North East TV and other broadcasters against airing any of her productions without securing the necessary authorisation.
Appeal To Mahama Government
The actress subsequently called for intervention from Ghanaian authorities, including the National Film Authority (NFA), the Ministry responsible for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations and President John Dramani Mahama.
She wants authorities to investigate allegations that some television stations are broadcasting Nigerian movies without obtaining permission from their owners.
For Ojo, the controversy is particularly troubling because it involves African businesses allegedly exploiting the intellectual property of fellow African creatives.
“Is Africans doing Africans? It doesn’t make any sense,” she said while questioning the alleged practice.
She also rejected suggestions that Nigerian filmmakers raising complaints about Ghanaian broadcasters were merely seeking publicity or “clout.”
Ojo argued that it would make little sense for filmmakers who spend substantial amounts producing movies to fabricate complaints about television stations allegedly broadcasting their work without permission.
Earlier Cases
The controversy did not begin with Iyabo Ojo.
During her reaction, she referred to previous complaints involving other filmmakers, indicating that she initially expected the issue to have been addressed following earlier public protests.
“I remember Bimbo came out to complain,” she said.
Recent complaints from Nigerian filmmakers, including Bimbo Adebayo and producer Uchenna Mbunabo, have already generated discussions about the alleged unauthorised broadcasting of Nollywood content by some Ghanaian stations.
