Veteran Nollywood actor and producer Yemi Ayebo, popularly known for his role in the 1993 Yoruba classic Yemi My Lover, has revealed how piracy and lack of industry support left him financially strained despite the movie’s widespread success.

In an interview with YouTuber Mr LilGaga, Ayebo reflected on the obstacles he faced after producing the hit romantic fantasy film, which tells the story of a man’s love affair with a mysterious woman from a supernatural family of water spirits.

Despite the film’s popularity, Ayebo explained that he earned very little due to rampant piracy and minimal promotional tools available at the time.

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“I was the one who wrote and produced the movie in 1993. The movie cut across the country, especially the Yoruba-speaking part, but I didn’t make any money from it; 90% was gotten by piracy,” he said.

He lamented that his decision to personally handle marketing backfired, leading to backlash from marketers who, according to him, resorted to selling unauthorized copies.

“I didn’t profit from that film because it was created during the analog era. There was no social media then, so I didn’t have the opportunity to promote it widely. The awareness was low, and I was struggling, doing the little I could to promote it,” he explained.

“The marketers waged war against me, which marked the beginning of my problems with them. Since then, I’ve been struggling. Both pirated and original copies of the movie circulated. People were printing and selling it without my consent.”

He added that the movie was even screened for profit in halls by unauthorized persons, while some marketers printed DVD covers to distribute bootleg versions, further cutting him out of any returns.

Ayebo shared that due to his limited understanding of the industry at the time, he handled all aspects of production and marketing alone. The small revenue he earned was used for basic needs.

“In the film industry, there’s supposed to be a division of labour, but I did everything myself due to my limited knowledge,” he said. “I produced Yemi My Lover with about N50,000 to N60,000 and only made a small amount back. I don’t own a house, I rent an apartment. So, from the money, I bought a camera, rented an office, hired a few staff, and got a car. That was all.”

The filmmaker also opened up about a major turning point in 1996, when he was wrongfully arrested and detained.

“There was a time in 1996 when I was in my office on Lagos Island, and a guy came to my office with soldiers,” he recounted. “I was taken to Alausa, Ikeja, where we met a major, and I was falsely accused, beaten, and the major asked that I should be killed.

“However, some of his colleagues stopped him, and I was locked up. Some of my boys were also arrested. Before I could resolve the case, I spent almost N500k, and that issue was a major setback for me. Things haven’t been the same since.”

Now facing financial difficulties, Ayebo revealed that opportunities in the industry have become scarce, largely due to a lack of connections.

“Right now, I’m broke and don’t have much. Things aren’t easy,” he admitted. “The movie industry is all about connections; you’ll struggle financially if you’re not well-connected. I need more connections to get back on my feet.”

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Watch him speak below…