Etinosa Idemudia urges Lagos Govt to address area boys menace

Etinosa Idemudia, a respected actress and filmmaker, has spoken out against the constant harassment and disruptions caused by ‘area boys’ on movie sets.

Speaking on Saturday, Etinosa appealed to the Lagos State government to take a firm stance and tackle the issue of area boys’ harassment on movie sets.

She said, “Another challenge is the case of area boys, who often disrupt film shoots, demanding money in Lagos State. These people usually ask filmmakers to pay outrageous bills in order to continue their shoot. It’s daylight robbery.

“The Lagos State government needs to address this issue. I have not encountered this problem in any other states, such as Edo, Enugu or Abuja where I have filmed.”

Calling for the regulation of the film industry, Etinosa said, “The lack of regulation in Nollywood is a big challenge for me as a filmmaker and actor. Regulation is not about blocking the gate of any industry; it is about putting a check on entrance procedures, ways of carrying out activities and protecting its practitioners.

“In the film space, there is hardly anything like an exam or qualification process. It is a free-for-all, which is both good and bad. The value of films needs to improve. These challenges need to be addressed for the industry to thrive, and for us to showcase our craft to the world.

“Another major challenge is the lack of funding. Funding has always been a challenge. Sometimes, as a creative, you have amazing ideas, but the budget constraints can be disheartening. Recently, there have been improvements. There have been grants from the Edo State government and other sources. However, funding is likely to remain an issue in the industry, until the right things are done.”