Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has said Nigerian directors are flooding YouTube because of the exchange rate, not because the platform pays more than Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Speaking on Nidacity’s The Builders podcast with Kemi Adeosun, the Aníkúlápó director drew a sharp line between big-stream money and the flexibility that is pulling mid-level producers online.
“YouTube can never give you what Netflix and Prime will give you. Never. But it’s the most flexible. It’s for everyone. It’s like a starting point. If you don’t have the strength to negotiate or have access to the big players, you can just make a film and put it there on YouTube. People will watch it and you’ll make your money,” he said.
He argued that the current celebration of million-view hauls is a naira story.
“The reason why people now celebrate 1, 10 million views and 10,000 dollars is because of the exchange rate. If dollar drops, everyone will run from YouTube. The attraction right now is the exchange rate. That’s what’s making it look more profitable than it is. If dollar comes down to 200 naira to a dollar, and I pray it does, people will leave YouTube.”
The comments land as more Nollywood names use YouTube after a cooler stretch with global streamers. Afolayan himself has put older titles on KAP Stream and has said before that YouTube gives wide access, even if it is easier to pirate. He has also said the platform is not the future for filmmakers chasing international scale.
Netflix and Prime still matter in his ranking. He has licensed and made work for those platforms, including Aníkúlápó. His case on the podcast is that they remain the bigger cheque. YouTube is the open door for anyone who cannot reach that table.