Prince Daniel Aboki, a well-known Nigerian filmmaker, has addressed and dismissed recent claims that he faced rejection in Kannywood due to his religion and in Nollywood due to his northern roots. In a public statement, Aboki clarified that he never made such claims in any interview, attributing the misunderstanding to comments he made during a Nollywood in Hollywood event in Los Angeles.
He explained that his remarks were intended to shed light on the segmentation within Nigeria’s film industry and the difficulties filmmakers face in moving between Kannywood and Nollywood. According to Aboki, while his film Mai Martaba was sometimes seen as Nollywood by Kannywood and vice versa, these perceptions were never linked to religious or ethnic discrimination.
“For clarity, Kannywood has never rejected me on the basis of ethnicity or religion. In fact, it has been my greatest pillar of support as a filmmaker,” Aboki stated, further crediting Kannywood’s practitioners and audiences for their continued support during the cinema run of Mai Martaba.
The filmmaker reaffirmed his commitment to uplifting Kannywood by collaborating with industry veterans and ensuring that northern Nigerian stories receive global attention. Additionally, he emphasized his dedication to creating employment opportunities for youth and challenging negative stereotypes about Northern Nigeria.
“I remain committed to working with my colleagues and the founding fathers of Kannywood to elevate the standard of our industry—telling our stories to the world and creating employment opportunities for our youth,” Aboki concluded.