- Lovely Abiola, a sketch producer and actor, has denied intentionally overshadowing veteran film producer Kunle Afolayan.
- Afolayan recently criticized the marketing strategies of Nigerian movies in a viral social media interview.
- He was frustrated by the marketing efforts for high-grossing movies and his low personal income.
Sketch producer and actor, Cute Abiola has denied being unhappy with veteran film producer Kunle Afolayan’s recent comments on the box office collection of his movie.
GistLover reports that Afolayan criticized the way Nigerian movies are marketed. In a viral social media interview, he revealed that he had stopped making films for theaters because marketing was exhausting, and expressed frustration with the meager personal income from high-grossing movies. He said that if he personally only earns 10 million naira, he does not want 1 billion naira or 2 billion naira in movie revenue.
He said, “I don’t know how people like Funke Akindele do it. But creating skits every day and changing costumes all the time. I can’t do it. I don’t just want to get 1 billion or 2 billion naira in cinemas and I personally can’t get 10 million naira from it.”
His remarks come after actresses Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham celebrated two billion naira and one billion naira box office respectively. Funke Akindele later accused Afolayan of jealousy and suggested he was being left behind.
Amid the controversy, the lovable Abiola, who is described as a close associate of Funk, advised his fans to avoid anything that might turn them into “old takers”. He wrote on X, “Avoid anything that makes you an old receiver.”
Many Nigerians interpreted his post as a subtle dig at Afolayan and criticized him online. Responding to the backlash, Lovely Abiola denied attacking Afolayan and called him his leader.
“Just to clarify, this tweet is not directed at Kunle Afolayan or anyone in the industry. This is based on personal motivations that truly motivate me and I decided to share. To everyone under this comment who chose my tweet as my replacement for my leader Kunle Afolayan! E NO GO BET FOR UNA!!! Like ENKR, odaju ni gbogbo yin oooo Walai! Eyin nu olohun nu,” he wrote.
