For decades, Alaba International Market in Lagos stood as the epicenter of Nollywood’s informal distribution economy. It was there that the clamor of traders echoed over stacks of DVDs and CD plates emblazoned with colorful movie covers, the latest homegrown dramas, comedies, and thrillers sold in their thousands to eager consumers. This market was not just a place of commerce, it was the beating heart of Nigeria’s film industry, powering it through the 1990s and early 2000s.
But as technology evolved and internet penetration deepened across Nigeria, the dynamics of Nollywood’s distribution began to shift, from physical to digital, from hustle to algorithm, from CD plates to Google cheques.
Alaba, The Grassroots Distribution Giant
Before YouTube, Netflix, and streaming, the Alaba International Market was the de facto headquarters for Nollywood distribution. Pirates and producers often worked hand-in-hand, pressing thousands of discs to flood the Nigerian market.
The model was simple: sell a movie in bulk to a distributor who would then duplicate and ship across the country. For filmmakers, this meant quick cash. For traders, it meant brisk business.
The market played a critical role in popularizing Nollywood films. Despite the murky ethics around copyright and piracy, it helped the industry flourish when formal distribution structures were nearly non-existent. It was Alaba that took low-budget productions like Living in Bondage and turned them into national sensations.
But the model was fragile. Discs could be pirated overnight. Producers rarely saw residual income. And as smartphones began to outnumber DVD players, the writing was on the wall.
YouTube and the Democratization of Distribution
Enter YouTube, the game changer.
With YouTube’s rise in Nigeria (especially post-2010), a new opportunity emerged for filmmakers: cutting out the middleman. Rather than sell their films for a one-time payout at Alaba, producers could upload content directly and get paid monthly by Google, based on views, watch time, and ad revenue.
The switch wasn’t immediate, but it was inevitable.
By the mid-2010s, major Nollywood players like Realnolly TV, Uche Nancy TV, and Yul Edochie TV began uploading their movies to YouTube. Suddenly, what once depended on physical traffic in Lagos could now reach global audiences in London, Johannesburg, New York, or Port Harcourt, all at once.
YouTube offered:
- Monetization: Google Adsense paid filmmakers for every ad viewed.
- Analytics: Creators could track what worked, who watched, and where.
- Creative freedom: No need to appease DVD marketers or censors at Alaba.
- Longevity: A movie could generate income for years, not just in the first week of release.
The model rewarded consistency, quality, and relatability, with some creators earning millions of naira monthly, solely from Google’s payouts.
Winners and Losers in the New Era
As with any disruption, not everyone benefitted equally.
Winners:
- Tech-savvy producers and actors who adapted to online platforms.
- Young filmmakers who couldn’t penetrate Alaba’s gatekeeping but found space online.
- Viewers, who could now access Nollywood for free on smartphones.
Losers:
- CD sellers and street vendors, who saw their businesses fade with every megabyte downloaded.
- Old-school producers who couldn’t transition to digital workflows.
- Editors and marketers whose skills were limited to disc production.
Even piracy shifted form, from physical duplication to illegal downloads and content theft on social media.
Challenges in the YouTube Economy
Despite the promises, the YouTube model isn’t without flaws. Monetization depends heavily on view count and geography. Nigerian views generate far less income than Western audiences, meaning filmmakers must reach international eyeballs for serious income.
There’s also a content glut. Everyone is uploading, which means standing out requires branding, quality storytelling, and good thumbnails, a far cry from the days when just having your face on a CD cover in Alaba guaranteed attention.
Some producers have voiced frustration with copyright strikes, demonetization, or the challenge of keeping up with YouTube’s ever-evolving algorithms.
What’s Next for Nollywood?
Today, Nollywood’s digital expansion goes beyond YouTube. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Showmax, and IROKOtv now commission or license Nigerian films for global audiences. These platforms offer even better payouts and more prestige, but with stricter quality control and gatekeeping.
Still, YouTube remains the most accessible gateway for upcoming producers to build a brand, test their content, and earn while learning. It has effectively democratized Nollywood, giving both village-based filmmakers and city-based moguls a chance to earn Google cheques from their stories.
From Street Sales to Streaming Success
The journey from CD plates at Alaba International Market to live-streamed Nollywood dramas on YouTube reflects the larger story of Nigeria’s digital leap. While nostalgia lingers for the days of hawking discs and haggling with distributors, the digital shift has given Nollywood something it never had before: sustainable, scalable global reach.
The industry has gone from hand-to-hand selling to algorithm-powered storytelling, from hustling for space in a Lagos market to competing for screen time on billions of phones worldwide.
And with every Google cheque sent to a Nigerian filmmaker, the message is clear.
Nollywood is no longer just surviving, it’s streaming.
