Nollywood filmmaker Biodun Stephen has questioned the growing emphasis on box office earnings in Nigeria’s movie industry, warning that publicising cinema revenue could create unhealthy competition among filmmakers.
Stephen argued that the industry’s increasing focus on financial milestones risks reducing the definition of success to ticket sales, while overlooking the different circumstances under which films are produced and marketed.
Speaking during an appearance on the Paul & Baaj: In Character podcast, the actress and producer urged her colleagues to reconsider the practice of publicly announcing their movies’ commercial performances.
“I think that we really should do away with the announcements. I feel like this is a distraction, and it puts pressure on those other people who feel as if that is the determinant and that’s how you determine my success,” she said.
Her remarks come amid growing attention to box office figures in Nollywood, where cinema earnings have increasingly become a prominent feature of film publicity and conversations about commercial success.
Stephen suggested that the popularity of certain projects could encourage other filmmakers to imitate successful approaches without understanding the preparation, investment and strategies behind those achievements.
Using a business analogy, she explained that the success of one entrepreneur selling a particular product does not necessarily mean others will achieve similar results by entering the same market.
“Somebody starts selling slippers and people are rushing to buy slippers, the next one is going to sell slippers because they think that slippers sell, meanwhile they don’t understand what you have put in to ensure the slipper sells,” she stated.
The filmmaker’s argument highlights the distinction between a movie’s publicly announced revenue and the broader factors that contribute to its commercial performance.
While box office figures can indicate audience demand, they do not necessarily reveal production expenditure, promotional costs or the financial returns ultimately received by filmmakers.
Stephen also questioned what she described as the rush towards international recognition among Nigerian actors and filmmakers.
She suggested that entertainers should place greater emphasis on building a strong presence within Nigeria before pursuing wider global visibility.
“It’s great to hunger for more, but I always say, have you even conquered Nigeria that you can stand and say that if I go to Kano they know me as an actor?” she asked.
Her comments raise questions about how Nollywood measures achievement as the industry expands its domestic audience and international reach.
Although commercial performance remains an important consideration for film businesses, Stephen’s position suggests that artistic growth, audience connection and sustainable career development should not be overshadowed by revenue comparisons.
The filmmaker maintained that the pursuit of greater achievements was worthwhile but cautioned against allowing public financial rankings and external recognition to become the primary standards by which creative professionals judge their success.
Ezeana Emmanuel
