Nigerian film producer Uchenna Mbunabo has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nigerian movies by some Ghanaian television stations, questioning whether the practice has become acceptable in Ghana despite existing copyright laws.
The filmmaker made the remarks during a discussion with the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), James Gardiner, in the presence of Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah.
The conversation, which was shared on Instagram by movie director Ben Cassie, centred on copyright infringement and its impact on the African film industry.
Uchenna Mbunabo alleged that some television stations in Ghana download newly released Nigerian movies from online platforms such as YouTube and air them without obtaining permission or acquiring the necessary broadcast rights from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalized in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?” he asked.
Responding to the concerns, James Gardiner acknowledged that the unauthorised airing of films remains a challenge within Ghana’s broadcasting industry and admitted that he is equally disappointed whenever he encounters such practices.
According to him, the National Film Authority has begun engaging key stakeholders and regulatory institutions to address copyright violations and strengthen enforcement.
He disclosed that the Authority has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC), which oversee and regulate television broadcasting in Ghana.
Mr. Gardiner explained that although Ghana has copyright laws, enforcing them has become increasingly difficult because many television stations now operate digitally without fixed physical offices.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital,” he said.
He noted that the emergence of digital broadcasting has created new enforcement challenges, with some operators running television stations remotely from outside Ghana, making it more difficult for regulators to monitor and prosecute copyright offenders.
Sharing the video of the discussion on Instagram, filmmaker Ben Cassie said the conversation was necessary because Nollywood producers have for years complained about the unauthorised broadcast of their films by some Ghanaian television stations.
According to him, every movie represents years of work, financial investment and sacrifice, and broadcasting films without permission deprives producers of revenue needed to pay cast and crew, finance future productions and sustain the industry.
He also noted that Uchenna Mbunabo has consistently supported Ghana’s film industry by working with Ghanaian actors and investing in collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood, stressing that the concerns were aimed at promoting fairness rather than creating division.
Ben Cassie urged stakeholders to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property, saying collaboration rather than piracy should define the future of the African film industry.
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