Jim Iyke is a Nollywood actor
Nigerian actor, Jim Iyke, claims the once-flourishing collaboration between the Ghanaian and Nigerian movie industries ended due to “emotions and politics.”
During an interview with 3FM on July 24, the Nollywood star explained that years ago, the partnership was strong and full of promise.
However, he asserts that a single wrong comment and an emotional reaction were enough to destroy it.
According to Iyke, the collaboration had created significant opportunities for both countries, helping some of Ghana’s biggest acting talents achieve fame.
He, however, believes that personal feelings and political interference ultimately derailed the successful venture.
“There was a certain time where there was a collaboration between Nigerians and Ghanaians that was heading for better waters. We all invested our emotions and our economy in that collaboration. We didn’t need anybody with ulterior motives or the politics or the naysayers to come between us, because it was thriving and working organically… Some of your biggest talents came from that collaboration,” Iyke stated.
When asked why no Ghanaian actor was cast in his new film, SIN, Iyke directly linked it to the breakdown in the relationship between the two industries.
He revealed that somebody spoke the wrong word and somebody got emotional, leading to the partnership’s collapse.
“They were in obscurity till that collaboration. Why end it because somebody spoke the wrong word and somebody got emotional. Now, this is the difference between us and you. We don’t get emotional about money. I can sit here and do business with my worst enemy and still not be in a social circle. But everybody wants to be involved with everybody’s insecurities,” he said.
Iyke emphasised that Nigerians tend to separate emotions from business, which he believes is a key factor in the continued growth of their entertainment industry.
He urged Ghanaians to adopt a similar approach by focusing on the bigger picture and setting aside personal issues for the collective good of the industry.
“Can we have a common ground where we say, ‘F*** our personal life, let’s focus on the ball?'” he said.
“As a collective, we move. As a collective, we can force any leadership to sit down… If they learned the principle and power behind the consensus, they would not have messed up that collaboration. And then since that time, it’s been downhill,” he added.
Meanwhile, you can watch GhanaWeb TV’s exclusive interview with Arathejay below:
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