Veteran filmmaker Tunde Kelani has condemned the unauthorised uploading of short clips on social media, calling the practice piracy and a threat to creative rights.
In a post on his Instagram page on Thursday, Kelani said bloggers and social media users have been cutting scenes from films and sharing them without permission. He argued this harms the value of the full work.
“This is WRONG! Cutting our films — Saworoide, Agogo Eewo, Ti Oluwa Nile, Thunderbolt: Magun — into unauthorised reels and posting them online is not promotion. It is piracy and the destruction of our cultural work.”
He added, “A film is a complete story, not fragments for quick views to make quick money illegally. This is stealing openly.”
Kelani also urged content creators and social media users to respect copyright and use proper distribution channels.
“Please stop this practice and wickedness! Support creators by watching and sharing films through the proper channels. Let us protect, not diminish, our heritage. Stop this criminality.”
The filmmaker’s remarks reflect wider concerns within Nigeria’s film industry about clips being reposted on platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok without permission from rights holders.
Kelani is known for films that explore Nigerian culture and society, including Saworoide, Agogo Eewo, Ti Oluwa Nile, Koseegbe, Oleku, The Narrow Path, White Handkerchief, Maami and Dazzling Mirage. Many of these works have faced challenges from piracy, affecting distribution and revenue.
