Marketing in Nollywood: Is Dancing Now a Necessity for Film Promotion?

• How films should be promoted in the social media–driven era in Nollywood remains a viral debate
• While some Nollywood stars and filmmakers favour the methods, others have shared contrary opinions
• Some movie fans who have gotten accustomed to the dance videos have also insisted on keeping the dance trend alive
• In a chat with Legit.ng, actor Jide Awobona shared his take on the dance video trend in Nollywood

In February 2026, the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood, witnessed a heated debate from filmmakers and movie stars about how films should be promoted.

The main focus was whether actors and filmmakers now have to participate in viral dance videos, skits, including jumping on trends to market their films, especially those meant to be watched at the Cinemas.

While Nollywood has seen a positive improvement in content, cinematography and cast, the methods for marketing films appear to have been limited.

Dance and skits videos, which were a creative choice some years back, have, however, become a necessity for marketing.

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There is no doubt that dance marketing has been effective, with Funke Akindele's Behind The Scene and Toyin Abraham's Oversabi Aunty hitting over one billion naira at the box office.

It, however, seems to work for movie stars and filmmakers for well-established fanbases.

This popular approach sparked conversation, with some filmmakers pointing out the growing expectation for filmmakers to perform online to sell their movies after the effort, hard work, time and money they put into the projects.

Dance videos might not work for every movie

While the method has proven to work for the likes of Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham because it aligns perfectly with their films, which mostly include elements of comedy, it might not work for others.

Well-known filmmakers Kunle Afolayan, Mo Abudu, Shaffy Bello and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde shared their sentiments about the trend.

While they praised colleagues for whom the dance method worked, they, however, stated that they would not be partaking in it.

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Their responses further triggered a drama in Nollywood, with the likes of Iyabo Ojo insisting on keeping the trend alive. The actress stirred conversation online after she posted a video of herself dancing to promote her upcoming movie, The Return of Arinzo, set to premiere in cinemas nationwide in April.

The mother of two shared a dance video as part of her publicity drive, making it clear that she would use whatever works best to push her project.

Some fans have also gotten accustomed to this and now expect every and anyone who produces a film meant to be watched at the cinema to dance for them, using phrases like 'You no go dance ke?' to convey their demands.

The disadvantages of the dance trend

There are high expectations that filmmakers must follow the same route to get people to watch their film at the cinema.

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The decline in criticism of films. So long as fans have been entertained with dance videos before and after the movie release, they go online to market on behalf of their favourite celebrity and resist any form of criticism.

Are dance videos the only marketing tool in Nollywood?

Nollywood has explored marketing strategies like behind-the-scenes promotions, tours, film premieres, posters, TV and radio interviews, and memes, among others.

However, to compete on the international scene, Nollywood now has to develop more creative strategies to promote its craft, which should not be limited to dancing.

Film is a product - Jide Awobona

According to Nollywood actor Jide Awobona, filmmakers need to see their film as a product. He stated that filmmakers need to make use of every means, including dancing, to get people's attention for their films.

"My take is very broad, I may have to write and entire book, but simply put - Promotion in business refers to the marketing communication strategies used to inform, persuade, and remind target audiences about products, services, or brands to increase demand and drive sales. So, for any organisation or an individual who takes Film Making as a serious business, you need to see a film as a product and you need to study the promotion mix ; advertising, digital selling, sales promotion and public relations.

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Each of these promotion methods plays their own role, so dancing and skit making falls into some of the mix. In a layman's language , "whatever you can do to get the attention of people to tell them about your product so they can buy, do it". There is no hard and fast rule," he said.

What Funke Akindele said about pressure

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Funke Akindele opened up about the pressures she faced in the movie industry and how they helped shape her into the person she is today.

The box-office queen reflected on her journey, revealing that the weight of expectations and challenges did not break her spirit.

Instead, she said the experiences helped her grow.

“The pressure didn’t break me. It matured me. It taught me patience, discipline, and emotional control,” Funke Akindele wrote.

Source: Legit.ng