Filmmaker, director, and creative producer Blessing Uzzi has raised serious concerns regarding the operations of location managers in Nollywood, exposing how systemic middleman inflation disrupts film productions and ruins relationships between filmmakers and property owners.
Taking to her X handle, Blessing recalled a prevalent issue within the film ecosystem where location managers charge producers exorbitant rates while passing on only a small fraction of the fee to actual property owners. She noted that this price inflation creates friction on set, often leaving homeowners aggrieved and leading to abrupt shoot cancellations.
"One day, I will write an article or a thread about location managers in Nollywood," Blessing wrote. "There is something inherently evil about charging ₦2m per day for a house when the owners don’t even receive up to ₦700k. Then filmmakers arrive to shoot, the homeowners are cranky, one thing leads to another, and the shoot gets cancelled."
She decried the lack of transparency in logistics and location management, urging industry practitioners to adopt professional honesty and self-regulation.
"Our greed is a lot. Honesty is really not that hard. The change we want must actually start with us," she added..
Known for her work as a writer, producer, and director, Blessing Uzi has built a strong reputation across high-profile film and commercial productions in Nigeria. Her director credits include the 2022 psychological drama No Way Out, starring Gideon Okeke and Blossom Chukwujekwu, as well as her acclaimed directorial work on Sister Rose and her recent feature production Call of My Life.
