Nigerian actress and movie producer Iyabo Ojo
Nigerian actress and movie producer Iyabo Ojo has lashed out at some Ghanaian television stations over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of her newly released movie, The Memory of You Part Two.
In a video shared on her TikTok page, the actress expressed shock after discovering that a television station she identified as North East TV had allegedly begun airing the film less than 24 hours after it premiered on her YouTube channel.
According to Iyabo Ojo, she never granted permission for the station to broadcast the movie and questioned why television stations would profit from content they did not produce or license.
“I woke up this morning and, to my greatest surprise, found out that there is this TV station called North East TV in Ghana already showing my movie. I didn’t give you permission. I don’t know you. Why are you pirating my movie? You have no right whatsoever,” she said.
The actress argued that such actions undermine the efforts and investments of filmmakers, explaining that the production of movies involves significant financial commitments, including payments for actors, equipment, locations, accommodation, costumes, makeup and other logistics.
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She lamented that airing her movies on television would reduce the number of viewers on her YouTube channel, affecting the revenue needed to recover production costs.
“You just took my movie that I posted on my YouTube channel, not even up to 24 hours, and put it on your TV for people to watch for free. Then you make money from it. How do we make our money back?” she questioned.
Iyabo Ojo further alleged that the practice was not limited to one television station, claiming she had been informed that several stations in Ghana had been airing movies without obtaining the necessary rights.
She called on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA), the Ministry of Arts and Culture, and President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and address the issue of movie piracy.
“It is very unfair that we Nigerians will work so hard to produce our movies and then some people will sit in their corners and transmit them on their local TV stations. Africans doing this to fellow Africans doesn’t make any sense,” she stated.
The actress ended her message by issuing a stern warning to any television station broadcasting her productions without authorisation, urging them to stop showing any of her movies without her consent.
Visibly angered, Iyabo Ojo also rained curses on those behind the alleged piracy, accusing them of destroying the livelihoods of filmmakers through the unauthorised use of their work.
@iyaboojo Ghana, we need to talk. My movie THE MEMORY OF YOU 1&2 is being aired on TV channels in Ghana without my permission. No call. No license. No payment. Just pure theft. To NETV* and every other station doing this: You cannot build your channel on the backs of filmmakers and expect us to keep quiet. To *His Excellency the President of Ghana @officialjdmahama National Film Authority @nationalfilmauthority and the *Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in Ghana We are begging you to act. There are laws in place — the *Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690)*. Enforce them. @nationalfilmauthority once said that they’ve already warned that stations airing unauthorized content risk *license suspension or revocation*. Now is the time to act on that warning. We Filmmakers pour our lives, money, and years into this craft. Piracy kills creativity, kills jobs, and kills investment. We are not asking for favors. We are demanding what is rightfully ours: *RESPECT and PROTECTION* for our intellectual property. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. #StopTVPiracyGhana #ProtectOurFilms #NFAActNow #supportnigeriancreators #CopyrightAct690 ♬ original sound - Iyabo Ojo
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