According to Ali Baba, what funded the initial boom of the home
video was the proceeds from crime, just like organized crime and
the mafia did for Hollywood. Read full article. Popular comedian,
Ali Baba, is popular for airing his views on entertainment matters
on social media. The veteran recently took to his Instagram and
Facebook page to address the issue of funding Nollywood.
According to him, many actors don’t know the real reason
Nollywood grew to where it is at the moment. He went on to state
advance fee fraud (419) as the reason. Read excerpts from his
article; “Not many know that the real reason Nollywood grew and
became what it is today, was because of advance fee fraud. Yes.
419. Yes go call police. What single HANDEDLY funded the initial
boom of the home video was the proceeds from crime. Just like
Organized crime and the mafia did for Hollywood. I will explain.”
“Remember I told you of how everyone waited to be on television
soaps or be a part of a stage production or just hung around
waiting for something to happen. There were many people with
scripts and the only thing that held their dreams down was funds.”
“The funds were not going to come from government or any
individual. The only Bank that sponsored stage plays at the time
was NIB (Nigerian international Bank) they always went all alone to
sponsor or in conjunction with the USIS. That source of funding
later was to dry up because certain people did not deliver. “But
that will be a story for another day. Anyway SHA, in the midst of all
that not knowing where funds will come from, Nnneka, The Pretty
Serpent came out. Many more home videos were to follow. Guess
who were the guys doling out money for the home videos? “These
419 guys had so much money, they built palaces as houses and
malls as country home mansions. And how best could they show
off the houses, cars, clothes, furniture and money? If you guessed,
In home videos, you are absolutely correct. Now, don’t forget that
these were proceeds from crime. “The 419ers were not
accountable to anyone. So, they were not looking for Return on
Investment. All they wanted was for their friends who saw the
video to know that that was one of their houses in different parts of
the country. They also wanted their fleet of cars to be used by the
actors and actresses. Some of whom also benefited from their
generosity. With such free funds flowing in, the actors who had
been dormant woke up. “In fact the 419 funds triggered a whole lot
of allied businesses. Make up, camera rentals, audio experts,
generator rentals, VHS and pneumatic tape dealers, editors,
producers, scriptwriters, screenplay writers, soundtrack makers,
special effects, drivers, welfare, costumier, continuity, graphics,…
Most of them funded by advance fee fraud proceeds.
“Undoubtedly, the monies were proceeds from crime. The
investors, or better put, financier, did not look forward to their
monies coming back. So, return on investment was impossible.
“They only wanted to have everyone see their cars, clothes (often
used by lead characters) and houses . And as time went on they
demanded that they were thanked SPECIALLY immediately after
TO GOD BE THE GLORY “It will be grossly unfair to history if I
failed to mention that these 419ers were making things happen,
pulling their weight in gold and even benefited in kind from some
movies they sponsored… As they were known to have married
some of the actresses. “From then on, sponsors were falling over
themselves to sponsor movies. Some of the 419 guys even
appeared in the movies they sponsored. The actors and actresses
started to command very interesting fees to act in home videos.
Then gradually, they (419ers) started to dictate who appeared in
their movies. As this was happening in the home video space,
musical artistes were also benefiting from the proceeds as well as
they were being invited to perform for very tidy sums. “The home
video industry was agog. Things were happening. Lifestyles of
actors changed. Better fees were charged, depending on how good
your negotiation skills were. Many more 419 guys saw it as a PR
arm of their business. “It’s important to note that with time, as
expected, some producers, directors, actors and actresses at this
time had gotten so popular, that they were beginning to dictate
what happened in the market. The new cartel that had been
formed, who were the financiers of the home video industry, now
called the marketers, decided to seize back the controls of the
growing industry. A case of who pays the piper dictates the tune.
Some were banned and others whipped into line. “Years on, the
heat started to be unbearable for the 419 king pins. Maga was not
even paying as they used to, yet, the authorities, through the Police
Special Fraud Unit (SFU) were hot of their tails. Many were picked
to explain the source of their wealth. Some Lilly livered ones
spilled and the people they mentioned were promptly picked. Their
houses were seized, cars confiscated and accounts frozen.
“Account officers in banks who were the people helping to launder
the funds were picked up as well. It was very common back then,
to see that the advance fee fraudsters, had married their account
officers. So, when the bubble burst and the poo hit the fan, some of
these account officers, now wives, were thinking of how to hide
what they could, protect their children and families, still maintain
the lifestyle, pay lawyers, get their 419 husbands bail every now
and then, depending on when a new reported case fingered them.
“Some wise 419ers, especially the educated ones, who had made
good money, invested in some other businesses and cleaned up
their businesses and tracks. Some not so smart ones, were selling
off properties and cars and running out of Nigeria to Ghana or
other neighbouring countries. Some unfortunate ones were
swindled or blackmailed by the police to quietly forfeit their
proceeds of crime. And others just went underground totally. “The
consequence of these happenings was the dearth of the Home
video business. Funds were hard to come by. Stars had been made
and they needed to be paid to maintain the glamour and assumed
high life style of the rich and famous. The seasoned professionals,
who were shut out from the 419 windfall, and had not been
benefiting from the free funds, had overtime, sourced funds from
legitimate sources to shoot their own movies. These professionals,
many of whom had come from thespian backgrounds, also had
been making money from producing, directing, scripting and acting
in the home video sectors and allied businesses. They now
became the fall back for many 419 dependent actors and
producers. “The funding of the home video industry was now a
case of who can bring the needed funds. Many repented 419ers
still had money, but were no more interested in showing off their
houses, cars and wealth. They just wanted to stay clear of the
home video business. But good enough for the young industry, the
hunger for the movies had been created. The market was waiting
for movies, and anyone who had a story and could assemble a
cast put it out in the market. The marketers of the movies had
made stupid money in the home video boom and now started
funding movie productions.
Interestingly, many of the born again 419ers, joined politics and
became power brokers. And knowing how NIGERIANS had taken to
home videos, they started to use their offices to support the
industry and expected to also benefit from the fame that the
stakeholders enjoyed. My conclusion. Owing to the fact that the
initial funds that kicked off the home video business, were not
expected back by the people (419ers) who funded the business,
some of the actors and actresses, plus producer and directors,
were more concerned about the creatives. They did not pay
attention to the distribution of movies and how to roll over the
proceeds from one movie into the next one. They were already
now used to lau lau money. It became a problem when they got
monies from individuals for a movie and years after, have not
been able to recoup money spent on the movie, not to mention
paying back. No one even dared to mention interest or profit.
“From the above you will agree with me that Government had no
role to play in the funding of the movie industry as we know it. It
had always been through the efforts of stakeholders and the funds
from the MAGA who paid. “Credit at this time must be given to
professional players in the industry who in spite of those free
funds, continued to legitimately source funds, produce quality
home videos, though they did not pay as much as the free-fund
movies did. They were the ones that kept Nollywood alive. “I had a
stint in Nollywood, thanks to BASORGE TARIAH jnr. (It’s at this
point that I mention that it was my debut in the movie industry.
That same movie, started, Rita Dominic’s career). I saw what
Basorge went through, to get the movie MY GUY out. It was a
combination of a lot of support here and there. Still can not stay he
made enough to compensate for the energy and resources that
that movie consumed. “Like I said, I had a stint inNollywood. I was
on set for My Guy for a week. The money that I made back then as
Mc or comedian, in a week was more the total cost of shooting that
movie. I then decided that, I was not going to be that patient. To be
part of a production that will take a month and yet the money was
not commensurate with the work. “I therefore, find myself being
worked up, when I see people in the movie industry, failing to get
the point. If it requires me saying it over and over again, I will. Till
those that did not get it get it. Piracy is the problem. It is not
government intervention. It is also not loans or alternative funding.
Piracy is the only problem. The sooner stake holders know that,
the better for them. “Thank God for Amaka Igwe of blessed
memory, who came to my rescue when she said, the pirate only
needs a copy, and all your investment, creativity and distribution
channels will come to nothing. I was practically threatened and
told to keep quiet by the people in NOLLYWOOD, who saw $200m,
and that was all they saw. “I have said severally on many
platforms, arresting pirates is not the first line of attack. Go after
their foot soldiers. Set up an ANTI PIRACY SQUAD, headed by an
AIG, with a law degree. Set up Zonal office. Empower them with
patrol vehicles and trained and armed mobile policemen. Get
corporate bodies to donate vehicles and properties. Arrest the
people who sell them on the streets and charge them for economic
crimes. “Then let them go serve the jail term. No option of fine.
While this is on, start awareness on the evil called piracy. Then
start pushing for stronger laws to punish offenders. Gradually, the
foot soldier who spent one month in a cell for selling pirated
products, will avoid that line of business. He will however have a
choice of going to legitimate shops that will now be licensed to sell
the products. “Decorum will not return immediately, but as the anti
piracy message continue to reach out, people will begin to adjust
to the changes. That is when cinemas will fill out. Thus warranting
the building new ones. “Finally, there is no more 419. There are no
more proceeds from crime that will be given to the entertainment
industry as free funds. Anyone who gives money to the industry
now will expect return on investment (ROI). This is why it’s hard
for banks to give loans for movie productions. Because the bank
will ask how you plan to pay it back.they know the Pirates are out
there. They know there is no legislation protecting your work. So,
you have to do more to convince them to fund you. “Let’s just
hope that Mr President is not advised again, to share the money
again, instead of setting up a lasting structure that will protect
intellectual property and help regenerate our entertainment
industry, to a point where it can contribute 20% to the GDP. And it
can! “What do I know sef? Shebi I am just a comedian”.
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