Nollywood actor, Zubby Michael, has claimed that some industry gatekeepers and executives are reluctant to support Igbo talents because they fear their mentees could quickly become their competitors.
Michael made the claim in an interview with Broadway TV, which began trending on Sunday.
The actor said Igbo talents were often fast learners and could acquire skills in a short period, making some executives wary of mentoring them.
He said, “Igbo people are fast learners and they are capable of making it big with just a little. You might decide to mentor an Igbo person and what took you 10 years to learn, he will learn it in one year and six months.
Michael further alleged that the reluctance to support Igbo talents was not limited to non-Igbo executives, claiming that some Igbo industry leaders also shared the concern.
“Industry executives, including some Igbos, don’t like supporting Igbos because they feel like they will get betrayed by their mentee outshining them,” he said.
His comments come days after veteran actor Francis Duru raised concerns over what he described as the declining presence of Igbo-centric stories and cultural heritage in contemporary Nigerian cinema.
Duru, who spoke in an interview on Gbam, aired on the Yan Content Factory YouTube channel on Friday, urged Igbo filmmakers and investors to emulate the Yoruba film industry’s approach to promoting and preserving its cultural stories.
Responding to why Yoruba producers appear to dominate major cinema release windows and global streaming platforms such as Netflix, Duru attributed the development partly to the failure of Igbo filmmakers to adapt, invest strategically and protect their regional narratives.
He said, “When they say charity begins at home, that’s what has happened to the Yorubas. We need to learn from them. If you don’t protect your own, if you don’t project your own, you know, who will do it?”