Lagos, Nigeria – Yinka Ade-Aluko, Founder of Doodle-Film Hub, has called for decentralised cinema infrastructure and lower ticket prices to unlock Nigeria’s film industry potential.
Speaking on the FilmOne 2025 Box Office Year Book, Ade-Aluko said Nollywood’s global acclaim for creativity and output is undermined by a cinema model that is expensive, narrow, and urban-focused.

“The issue is not talent or audience potential; the real bottleneck is access,” he said.

The report shows Nigeria’s total cinema box office revenue at about ₦16 billion, with only 2.3 million admissions in a year—fewer than one in 100 Nigerians visiting cinemas. Ade-Aluko highlighted that most Nigerians consume films via streaming, TV, and mobile devices, proving demand exists but access is limited.

Average ticket prices hover around ₦7,000, with some cinemas charging up to ₦15,000, making repeat visits unaffordable for families and students. This disrupts the frequent attendance patterns that drive a sustainable box office.

Ade-Aluko also flagged the production-exhibition gap: Nigeria produces roughly 2,000 films annually, yet only 81 titles reached cinemas. Foreign films dominate screens, limiting local content circulation and earnings for Nigerian filmmakers.

With only 122 cinemas across Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia—mostly in upscale malls—many regions remain underserved. Ade-Aluko proposed decentralised, community-driven cinema models, including campus and mobile cinemas, flexible pricing, sponsorship-backed screenings, and subscription systems to encourage repeat attendance.

“Nigeria does not lack talent or audience appetite. What it lacks is widespread, affordable exhibition infrastructure,” he said.

“The future of Nigerian cinema may depend less on how many films are produced and more on how widely they are seen.”

Expanding access, he concluded, could generate employment beyond actors, strengthen domestic cultural influence, and broaden Nollywood’s economic reach.