AY Makun has joined an elite list of Nigerian celebrities who have been featured on CNN after he was a guest on “CNN Marketplace Africa.”
The ace comedian spoke on some of the issues facing independent producers in Nollywood.
AY Makun
(Stargist)
The Nigerian movie industry has experienced a significant increase in investments and popularity and with Makun’s recent movies, such as “30 days in Atlanta,” “A trip to Jamaica,” amongst others, this is made even more obvious.
He explained that the boom being experienced is a direct result of Nigerians realising that money can be made from Nollywood.
He said: “People are now beginning to know that you can make money from our movies. Investors are starting to come in and collaborations between different production outfits are beginning.”
Asked about the impact of the recession in the country’s economy on business, AY noted that even his company suffered as did most companies in the industry.
“It affected the last movie I did, 10 Days in Suncity, because of the exchange rate. I was shooting in Nigeria and South Africa so the exchange rate was crazy and that affected finance.
“However, Nigerians seeking a short respite from the realities of the recession continued to spend money on movies.”
AY Makun and wife
AY went on to explain: “Recession or no recession, Nigerians want to like a product and they are ready to go out there and see it – it’s part of the relief for them.”
He also outlined what it takes to produce a financially successful Nollywood movie.
“The secret is not for you to just jump in because you think people are making money. You need to do your research. You also need to have an understanding of finance.”
Watch the clip from the interview above.
