Media entrepreneur Mo Abudu has firmly rejected allegations that a group within Nollywood is colluding with cinema owners to deliberately limit screening opportunities for certain films.
Speaking during a discussion on ARISE TV, Abudu said cinema operations are driven purely by commercial considerations, audience turnout and sustainability—not personal interests, favoritism or industry politics.
Veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, who joined the conversation, acknowledged that complaints about alleged unfair practices in cinema screenings have become increasingly common within the industry.
“I have heard these things. Actors themselves have come out to say it has happened to them. Some fans have even corroborated the stories, saying they were convinced to watch another movie instead of the one they originally came to see,” Omotola said.
Responding, Abudu dismissed the claims as illogical from a business standpoint, stressing that no cinema operator would deliberately block a film capable of attracting audiences.
Using EbonyLife Cinemas, which she owns, as an example, Abudu explained that filling seats is central to survival in an industry burdened by high operational costs.
“I can’t speak for all cinemas, but I can certainly speak for EbonyLife Cinemas. It’s not true. We run a professional business. Our return on investment depends heavily on having people sitting in every single cinema,” she said.
Abudu noted that EbonyLife Cinemas operates five screens, with approximately 30 screenings daily, amounting to nearly 900 screenings each month, providing ample opportunities for filmmakers.
“There is plenty of space,” she added.
She explained that screening schedules are continuously reviewed based on performance, pointing out that costs such as electricity, air conditioning and staff wages make it impractical to retain underperforming films indefinitely.
“When a film has no audience and you have two or three people in a 100-seater cinema, by the next week we are going to have a conversation. That time slot can no longer work,” Abudu said.
Addressing complaints about peak-time slots, she noted that audience demand often does not align with assumptions.
“Even if a film gets 50 per cent of peak-hour slots, that still amounts to about 450 screenings in a month,” she explained.
Abudu stressed that these decisions apply uniformly to all producers, regardless of ownership or influence.
“There is no sentiment to anybody being in the cinema space,” she said.
To reinforce her point, Abudu disclosed that a film produced by her daughter, Temidayo Abudu, was also withdrawn from cinemas due to poor turnout.
“My daughter had a film in the cinema last year, and when it wasn’t performing, we had to move it out. So there is no sentiment,” she said.
“This is about return on investment. It doesn’t matter who owns the film. If I, Mo Abudu, make a film and we can’t fill the seats, it will give way to the next film that can,” she added.
Her comments come amid rising tensions between filmmakers and cinema operators, as debates continue over screening access, peak-time allocation and transparency within Nigeria’s growing film industry.