Nigerian actress and movie producer, Iyabo Ojo, popularly known as the “Queen Mother,” has joined a growing list of Nigerian filmmakers who have accused some Ghanaian television stations of airing Nollywood movies without proper authorization.
In a video shared on her social media platforms, Iyabo Ojo stated that a Ghanaian television station, North-East TV, aired the second part of her movie The Memory of You without her permission, barely a day after its release on YouTube.
According to the actress, she released The Memory of You 2 three days ago, only to wake up the following day to discover that the movie was already being broadcast on the Ghanaian television station without any communication, licensing agreement, or payment.
“I woke up the next day to a TV station in Ghana called North-East TV showing it without permission,” she said.
Iyabo Ojo questioned why some television stations would wait for filmmakers to invest time, money, and resources into producing movies, only to take the content and broadcast it without approval.
“Why are you pirating my movie? You have no right whatsoever. You didn’t communicate with me, you just took my movie that I posted on my YouTube channel, not even up to 24 hours, and you took it and put it on your TV for people to watch for free and then make money and expect your life to be better,” she stated.
The filmmaker said she had heard that similar incidents had happened to other Nigerian producers, citing the case of fellow filmmaker Bimbo Adeboye, who also raised concerns about a Ghanaian television station airing her content without permission. She expressed disappointment that despite previous discussions on the issue, the practice continues.
“I thought the executives of the National Film Authority headed by Kafui Danku once said something will be done about it,” she added.
Iyabo Ojo further criticized the tendency of some people to accuse filmmakers of seeking attention whenever they speak out against copyright violations. She explained that producers invest heavily in their projects and depend on legitimate platforms such as YouTube and licensed distribution channels to recover their investments.
“These producers will invest so much and put in all the hard work, only for these TV stations to put the movies on TV for free without permission,” she said.
The actress called on the National Film Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and address what she described as a growing problem affecting the creative industry. She argued that unauthorized broadcasts make it difficult for filmmakers to generate revenue from their works and discourage investment in film production.
“How will people go on YouTube to watch the movie so we can make our money back?” she questioned.
In expressing her anger over the alleged piracy, Iyabo Ojo also called on divine punishment against those behind the unauthorized broadcasts.
“We call ourselves our brothers and sisters but we are the same people who are doing ourselves. Whoever you people are, as you gather to destroy the hard work of someone who is struggling and putting in all effort to survive, may God and thunder in heaven strike you dead,” she said.
“May God destroy you as you have decided to sit in your corners and destroy other people’s work. May thunder destroy you,” she added.
In the caption accompanying her video, Iyabo Ojo wrote:
“Ghana, we need to talk. My movie THE MEMORY OF YOU 1&2 is being aired on TV channels in Ghana without my permission. No call. No license. No payment. Just pure theft.”
She called on Ghanaian authorities to enforce existing copyright laws, particularly the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690), and reminded stakeholders of previous warnings that television stations airing unauthorized content risk sanctions, including license suspension or revocation.
“We filmmakers pour our lives, money, and years into this craft. Piracy kills creativity, kills jobs, and kills investment. We are not asking for favors. We are demanding what is rightfully ours: respect and protection for our intellectual property.”
Several Nigerian actors and movie producers, including Uchenna Mbunabo, Bimbo Adeboye, Omoli Oboli, Ruth Kadiri, and Nosa Rex, among others, have in recent times expressed frustration over the alleged unauthorized airing of Nollywood movies by some Ghanaian television stations.
Their concerns have also been echoed by some Ghanaian filmmakers, including Juliet Ibrahim and Xandy Kamel, who have raised concerns about the impact of copyright violations on the growth and sustainability of the film industry. The repeated complaints have reignited calls for stronger enforcement of copyright laws and better protection for filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Meanwhile, executives of Ghana’s National Film Authority, including Chief Executive Officer Kafui Danku and other officials such as James Gardiner, have on different occasions addressed concerns surrounding copyright violations in the film industry. They have assured stakeholders that steps are being taken to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property and deal with unauthorized use of creative works.
The authority has also warned that television stations and other platforms that air movies without the necessary permissions risk facing sanctions, including possible action against their licenses.
