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Netflix has come under criticism for denying Nigerians in the diaspora access to Femi Adebayo’s newly released movie, Seven Doors.
This follows a similar controversy with Lisabi, a movie produced by Lateef Adedimeji which was limited to Nigerians in the diaspora
Kayode Badmus, a writer and journalist, stated on his Facebook page, “Till date, nobody outside the continent has been able to view Lisabi because Netflix reduced viewership to local audiences, yet Telegram channels are offering people the opportunity to watch for little or nothing other than their airtime. The same is about to happen with Femi Adebayo’s new movie, Seven Doors. Those outside Nigeria cannot watch the movie, which was released earlier today.”
In response to these restrictions, some viewers have turned to Telegram and other unauthorized platforms to watch the movie for free.
Others have also resorted to changing their Netflix location settings to bypass the restrictions.
This growing reliance on piracy undermines producers who invest heavily in high-budget films, relying on Netflix viewership metrics to generate profits.
He also noted that Producers like Femi Adebayo, Kunle Afolayan, and Funke Akindele are urged to push Netflix to reconsider its policies.
Restricting access turns away international fans, promotes piracy, and ultimately harms the industry.
However, Streaming platforms must ensure inclusivity for all audiences to maintain the profitability and growth of Nigerian cinema.
