Veteran Nollywood actor and director Ramsey Nouah has raised concerns over the economic viability of theatrical film distribution in Nigeria.

Speaking in an interview with Television Continental (TVC), the acclaimed director lamented that cinema releases are not completely financially profitable for filmmakers, and only a tiny fraction of filmmakers get a positive return on investment (ROI) for their investments.

According to him, this has seen a growing number of Nigerian producers bypass traditional movie theaters and major streaming services in favor of YouTube.

When asked directly whether taking a feature film to Nigerian cinemas remains a wise financial decision, Nouah offered a blunt assessment of the box office model.

"No, it's not. About only 2% of people probably will make their capital invested like ROI on cinemas.

"Even with the promotion and all of the marketing antics, some people still don't get capital investors," Nouah explained.

Nouah highlighted that despite aggressive publicity campaigns and heavy marketing budgets, the traditional theatrical model frequently leaves filmmakers struggling to recoup production costs—forcing creators to seek alternative, direct-to-consumer monetization models online.

High exhibition revenue splits (where cinemas take roughly 50% or more of box office earnings), heavy marketing expenses, and inflationary pressures have driven an unprecedented boom in direct-to-YouTube Nigerian movie releases, where creators monetize via ad revenue, rapid turnaround times, and global diaspora viewership.

Watch the video below:

"Is taking your movie to the cinemas a wise financial decision?"

Ramsey Nouah: pic.twitter.com/VFKZZBAHIm

— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) September 25, 2026