Mo Abudu Shares Stance on How Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham Dance to Promote Movies
- Mo Abudu has declared that she cannot dance to promote her films like actresses Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham do
- Her comments came shortly after Kunle Afolayan faced serious backlash for dismissing the dance promotion strategy that has made billions for some filmmakers
- Social media users questioned why industry veterans keep focusing on how others promote their work instead of simply sticking to what works for them
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Media mogul Mo Abudu has stated that the dance routines used by some of her colleagues to promote their movies are not part of her own strategy.
Speaking at the Lagos Business of Film Summit, the CEO of EbonyLife Media acknowledged that while Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham have successfully used energetic dance videos to push their films to box office heights, she prefers to focus on other strategies that align better with her personality and brand.
Source: Instagram
Mo Abudu noted that she admires the energy and creativity displayed by Akindele and Abraham, whose promotional style often goes viral and connects strongly with audiences.
However, she emphasised that dancing is not her speciality and has instructed her team to explore alternative promotional methods that do not require her direct involvement in such routines.
She used the opportunity to explain the importance of recognising the diverse approaches that can lead to success in Nigeria’s film industry, pointing out that every filmmaker must identify what works best for them.
Her remarks came against the backdrop of similar comments made by actor and filmmaker Kunle Afolayan at the same summit.
Legit.ng recently reported that Afolayan stated that he would never dance or create skits to promote his films.
However, his comments were met with criticism from Funke Akindele, some of her colleagues in the industry and fans across Nigeria.
Critics stated that Kunle Afolayan's statement appeared dismissive of Akindele’s highly effective promotional style, which has consistently delivered record-breaking results and reshaped commercial expectations in Nollywood.
In response, Akindele fired back at Afolayan, saying that there is room for different promotional models to thrive.
She maintained that creators should focus on their unique strengths without jealousy, insisting that the industry is wide enough for everyone to succeed through their chosen methods.
Watch the video of Mo Abudu here:
Nigerians react to Mo Abudu's comments
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of netizens below:
@seanelhadji said:
"This is even still sarcastically taking a dig at those who dance! Talk about how you want to sell your films without talking about how other people sell theirs. There's a Burna who does not even post flyers of his shows, all we see is 'sold out' and there's a David who aggressively markets his, at the end of the day, both sell out venues! If they feel the box office has been taken over by those who dance, they can move to Netflix or YouTube!"
@Deji_Dokun wrote:
"Why are they worried about those who dance to promote their film? They should stick to what works for them."
@mrs_omoh commented:
"Why is the discussion about dancing? Why can't they just brainstorm and think about other marketing strategies?"
@iamgoldwealth reacted:
"There's a clear difference between applauding people's strength and criticising it. KA was definitely talking about the issues with cinema but downplayed the effort of the people doing well in it, we all saw the video. He even made jest of the person who reacted & You know this."
@Olalekanakogun said:
"They literally shoot 2 movies to promote 1 movie. It's degrading and demeaning for filmmakers to be reduced to content creators these days…"
Source: Instagram
Omotola Jalade criticises dancing to promote movies
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade Ekeinde stirred fresh conversations in the movie industry after criticising the growing trend of dancing on social media to promote films.
Omotola made her views known during a recent appearance on TVC Entertainment, where she stated clearly that she cannot dance to market a movie, describing such an approach as unprofessional.
According to her, she only dances when she feels like it, not when it becomes a marketing obligation.
Source: Legit.ng
