What Omoni Oboli’s Intellectual Property Concerns Reveals 

On the night of March 11, 2025, Omoni Oboli‘s Love in Every Word was temporarily removed from YouTube due to a copyright claim by Chinonso Obiora (Skyberry). This wasn’t an isolated incident. On January 10, 2025, another Oboli production, A Different Type of Love, also disappeared from her YouTube channel due to copyright disputes. And back in 2017, her film Okafor’s Law was embroiled in a legal battle over script ownership. These recurring disruptions raise serious questions about the ethical considerations surrounding the filmmaker’s work and the broader responsibilities of content platforms.

The first public controversy emerged in 2017 when screenwriter Jude Idada accused Oboli of fraud over her film Okafor’s Law, a movie exploring a cultural myth that men can effortlessly rekindle past relationships. Idada had originally written a screenplay of the same name in 2014, and when Oboli’s production company, Dioni Visions, released a film based on a nearly identical premise, he took legal action. Following its international debut at the Toronto Film Festival, Idada successfully blocked the Nigerian premiere, initiating a legal battle that ultimately ended in Oboli’s favor. The court ruled that Idada had no copyright claim, a verdict critics argued squandered an opportunity to set a precedent for intellectual property protection in Nigeria’s film industry.

Fast forward to 2024, and a similar issue resurfaced. Oboli’s A Different Type of Love was suddenly pulled from YouTube after viewers noticed striking similarities to another film titled Hope Given. Oboli later disclosed that she had purchased the screenplay from a writer who, unbeknownst to her, had already sold the same script to another producer in 2022. Further investigation revealed that the screenwriter had sold the material to two additional filmmakers, highlighting the chaotic nature of Nollywood’s script trade. While the screenwriter’s ethics were questionable, how did Oboli’s professional team fail to conduct basic due diligence before acquiring the script? This oversight suggests either a lack of legal safeguards within her production company or a broader industry trend of prioritizing expediency over ethical considerations.

Then came Love in Every Word. Starring Uzor Arukwe and former Big Brother Nigeria contestant Bamike Olawunmi (BamBam), the film went viral, particularly due to its “Odogwu Paranran” sequence, which has become a TikTok sensation. However, on March 11, viewers were abruptly cut off mid-stream as the film vanished from the platform. Others found that previously downloaded copies had also disappeared. The message displayed read: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Chinonso Obiora (Skyberry).”

Skyberry was later identified as the owner of aerial footage used in the film without proper attribution or compensation. YouTube’s removal of the film confirmed the legitimacy of his claim. Though the movie was later reinstated—presumably after a settlement—this incident cemented an alarming pattern of copyright disputes tied to Oboli’s productions. For an established filmmaker with a professional team, such repeated oversight raises serious ethical concerns: Is this a case of negligence, or is Oboli knowingly exploiting independent creators because she can? On March 12, another individual came forward on X claiming that his video footage from Awka, Amawbia, and Osumenyi appeared in Love in Every Word without permission or acknowledgment. Given Oboli’s resources and industry standing, these repeated intellectual property disputes suggest a troubling pattern. The public cases may represent only a fraction of similar unresolved situations, underscoring the broader issue of power dynamics in Nollywood and the ease with which established producers can take advantage of independent creators.

The controversy speaks to a deeper issue within Nollywood. Unlike Hollywood, which has strong unions and guilds to protect the rights of screenwriters, cinematographers, and other creatives, Nollywood operates within a largely unregulated environment. This structural deficit leaves creatives vulnerable to exploitation, particularly screenwriters, who are often grossly underpaid. A writer recently revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that a potential client offered just ₦20,000 per episode for a series—an egregious undervaluation of creative labor. Within this context, some writers resort to reselling scripts to multiple buyers out of financial desperation, further muddying the waters of intellectual property ownership.

Oboli’s recurring copyright controversies suggest a broader pattern enabled by Nollywood’s disorganized industry structure. Without formalized protections, established filmmakers can operate with minimal accountability while emerging creatives struggle for fair recognition.

Nigeria faces a pervasive intellectual property crisis that extends far beyond Nollywood. This recurring pattern of creative theft demands immediate intervention from regulatory bodies, industry gatekeepers, and the government. The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and Nollywood’s major stakeholders must take decisive action to prevent such disputes from becoming the industry norm. For Nigerian cinema to secure its place on the global stage, ethical standards must be foundational. The road to international recognition and sustainable growth demands not just artistic excellence but a commitment to creative integrity and proper attribution. Failing to address these systemic gaps will leave Nollywood’s potential perpetually constrained by its own ethical shortcomings.