If Dollar Falls to ₦200, Filmmakers Will Abandon YouTube — Kunle Afolayan

By Segun Adebayo

Award-winning Nigerian filmmaker has suggested that the growing rush by Nigerian filmmakers to YouTube is largely driven by the strength of the US dollar against the naira.

Afolayan made the observation while discussing the economics of filmmaking and the changing distribution patterns within Nigeria’s film industry.

According to the filmmaker, the exchange rate has made YouTube increasingly attractive to Nigerian content creators because their earnings are largely dollar-denominated.

He explained that filmmakers now attach significant financial value to viewership figures, particularly when their films cross the one-million-view mark on the platform.

Afolayan said that when the dollar exchanges at around ₦1,400, one million YouTube views can translate into earnings of about $10,000, making the platform an attractive destination for filmmakers.

“Nigeria filmmakers are rushing to YouTube because of the dollar exchange rate,” Afolayan said.

He noted that the financial calculation changes considerably when the value of the naira changes, suggesting that the current enthusiasm for YouTube is closely connected to the prevailing exchange rate.

“At ₦1,400 to $1, they celebrate one million views because it can bring in about $10,000,” he said.

Afolayan, who has released some of his previously distributed films on YouTube, said the platform has become an important avenue for filmmakers seeking to reach wider audiences while also generating revenue from their intellectual property.

The filmmaker, however, argued that the attraction may not remain as strong if the naira appreciates significantly against the dollar.

“But if the dollar falls to ₦200, everyone will run away from YouTube,” he said.

His comments point to the extent to which exchange-rate movements can influence business decisions in Nigeria’s creative economy, particularly for filmmakers whose digital revenues are linked to foreign currency.

Afolayan himself has used YouTube to make films including The Figurine, Phone Swap and The CEO available to a wider audience after their earlier distribution windows.