Nollywood actor Gabriel Afolayan has stressed that constructive criticism is crucial to the growth and improvement of Nigeria’s film industry.
In an interview with Punch, the award-winning thespian explained that filmmakers and audiences must work together to elevate Nollywood to global standards.
“Criticism is needed. How do we get better if people are not ready to talk about what we are doing? Both the audience and filmmakers have to come together,” he said.
Afolayan further expressed confidence in Nollywood’s ability to produce across all genres, including action films.
“Nollywood is ready for everything. Trust me, we just need to keep serving. You don’t know how intelligent people are until you create something that will blow their minds. Even if you believe you’ve made a great film, until an audience watches it and decides whether it’s good or not, nothing else really matters. I feel our audience is ready for everything we have to give them.”
The actor also praised the sharpness and analytical nature of Nigerian viewers, noting that their feedback often rivals professional critiques.
“The taste buds of Nigerians when it comes to different movie genres are very sharp. You see people in the medical field analysing films as if they were part of the production. Ordinary people dissect movies, and you’ll be amazed. You know why? Because we make these films for them.
“A film doesn’t belong to the filmmaker; they are just instruments the universe uses to put it together. And because they love the film, they’ll put money in your pocket as a filmmaker. But even after you release a film, you won’t make anything from it until the audience says it is good enough.”
Afolayan’s remarks come at a time when Nollywood continues to expand its global reach, with audiences both at home and abroad demanding higher standards of storytelling and production.
