Yoruba actress and movie producer, Iyabo Ojo, was one of the few ladies among the film-makers who staged a protest against piracy at the Lagos State Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos, last Monday. She speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA about the adverse effects of piracy, her other enterprise and marriage among sundry issues
Why exactly did you join this protest, a walk against piracy?
It’s primarily because I’m one of those who want the government to listen to our plight. The scourge of piracy is deadly because it is eating deep into our homes, finances, emotions and a lot more as citizens of this country. It’s day light robbery, movies are being produced with so much money, you manage to even take them to the cinemas and at the end of the day, the movies are pirated by those who never went through the labour and sweat with us.
The government should help us send away from the streets the boys who hawk our works illegally. We don’t want violence and because of tribal issues, we’re also trying to be as careful as possible. We know our movies are mostly pirated at Alaba market (a popular retailing hub in Lagos for CDs and electronics), it’s really frustrating and you know when things heat up to this level, it will soon get out of hand.
Are you suggesting that the Nigerian Copyright Commission has not been efficient enough in addressing this issue?
If they’ve been proactive, we will not be in the sun doing this protest. I had walked similar walks and talked similar talks several times. My movie, Arinzo, which I released in 2011, was pirated. It was released in the morning and by evening it has been pirated on a 4-in-1 CD. I lost so much money and you know that not all producers are fortunate enough to have alternative means to raise funds to produce more works.
Some producers just die like that. Look at Baba Sala, in his days, can you believe that piracy was one of those things that killed the man’s career? Enough is enough, we have done so much campaigns against this menace. I remember coming to meet with Dame Abimbola Fashola, the first lady of Lagos State and she said we should come here as a body. This is what we’re here for today, to see the governor.
What’s the plan B if the governor is not around to receive your demand?
We’re very civil people and we will continue to do this until the governor is ready to help us achieve what is right.
How much would you say you’ve lost to piracy?
Honestly, one cannot quantify how much loss one incurred here and now because when a movie is released, as long as the movie is good, it keeps selling year in year out, but once it’s pirated, the gains stop. So, you cannot say this is how much profit you make in a movie, once a movie is good, you continue to enjoy the profit. The loss runs into millions and you can imagine that yourself.
What should we expect from you as a producer and an actress?
As I speak to you, I have two of my movies right now, one is at the cinemas, it’s showing in Ibadan and Ilorin. I have Beyond Disability which will be released very soon and I’m going on location to shoot another movie entitled My Pain, My Gain. If I have N10million to shoot a movie for instance, if I know that at the end of the day, I will not recover the money, why would I go on to shoot it? So, good production is expensive. You spend a lot to get good equipment, costumes and actors, if they do not stop these pirates, many of us out there who could do much more would not out of the fear of losing our money .
You’ve been quite successful, what do you do on the side?
Well, I’m a very hard working woman, I have a boutique that I run, I do a lot of buying and selling and I have a spa. I have an event management company too. We juggle ev-erything successfully by God’s grace.
Between marriage and a successful career, which one ranks top to you?
I have tried marriage before and I’m not in marriage right now. I have tasted acting and production of movies and I am still there. Now if you were in my shoes, what would you go for?
How has fame affected your relationship with people?
I don’t take people for granted and I will never take people for granted. I still interact with people very well. I so much cherish my fans.
Who are your close pals in the industry?
I am close to everyone who is neither arrogant nor proud.
Have you had the highest point in your career?
I haven’t reached there yet, still working towards that.
What do you consider before picking up a script?
The story line is very important to me; I just don’t pick up a role; I study and rehearse well before I do.
You are a single mother, considering your schedules, how do you create time to attend to your children?
I try my best to be a good mother to them despite my very busy schedule. I try as much as possible to be with them when I am not working.
Let’s talk about your dance school, why dance school? One would have expected you to have acting school.
I have a group known as Future Stars. I educate, motivate and train those who want to go into acting. I also organise seminars for them and I invite my senior colleagues to come and address them. My dance school for kids was established because of my love for children and dancing. The non-governmental organisation is known as Dancing to Save Souls. We have children between the ages of three to 15.
We teach and train healthy and privileged kids how to dance. I take them out to the less privileged and other homes. They interact, learn and play with inmates of such homes. With that they appreciate them and we entertain them.
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