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25 August 2026

An Analysis Of The Legal Issues In The Nigerian Film Industry

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WTS Blackwoodstone

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WTS Blackwoodstone is an international business law firm that provides innovative business solutions for clients with diverse needs. The Firm’s core practice areas include Tax, Tax Advisory & Compliance, Corporate and Commercial law, and Transactional Services provided to resident and non-resident companies doing business in Nigeria. We currently have 2 offices in Lagos and Abuja and are strategically placed to offer hands on legal services to our clients in the major economic hubs of Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

Our clients include international businesses, family-owned businesses, government agencies and high net worth individuals.

Nollywood has become one of the world's largest film industries by output volume, yet the legal framework supporting its actors, producers, and distributors remains poorly understood by many emerging entertainers. This analysis examines critical questions of ownership, financial management, taxation, and commercial obligations that arise when Nigerian films move from script to screen, using Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde's 2026 directorial debut as a practical case study.
Nigeria Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
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Introduction

Nollywood has grown, by volume of output, into one of the largest film industries in the world, yet the legal framework that supports the actors, producers and distributors who sustain it remains poorly understood by many upcoming entertainers. Three questions recur whenever a Nigerian film moves from script to screen: who owns the film and the performances captured in it? How should the entertainer manage the money the film generates, and what taxes, levies and commercial deductions must be settled before and after the film reaches a cinema screen? This article addresses these questions with reference to Nigerian legislation, principally the Copyright Act 2022, the National Film and Video Censors Board Act, the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, and the Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding) Regulations 2024, using the 2026 cinema run of Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s directorial debut,“Mother’s Love” as a working case study.

You may read the entire document here.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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