Executives fear Igbo talents will become rivals — Zubby Michael

Nollywood actor Zubby Michael has claimed that some industry executives are reluctant to support Igbo talents because they fear their mentees could quickly grow into competitors.

Michael made the claim during an interview with Broadway TV, which began trending on Sunday.

According to the actor, Igbo talents tend to learn quickly and can master in a short period skills that took their mentors several years to acquire.

“Igbo people are fast learners and they are capable of making it big with just a little. You might decide to mentor an Igbo person and what took you 10 years to learn, he will learn it in one year and six months,” he said.

Michael argued that this ability sometimes makes industry executives hesitant to mentor Igbo talents because of the possibility that they could eventually establish themselves independently and become competitors.

“And if you don’t treat him well, he will leave you and start doing the same business you taught him and become your competition. So, people are scared of that,” he said.

The actor further alleged that the reluctance was not limited to non-Igbo executives, claiming that some Igbo industry leaders also harbour similar concerns.

“Industry executives, including some Igbos, don’t like supporting Igbos because they feel like they will get betrayed by their mentee outshining them,” Michael said.

His remarks come days after veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru expressed concern over what he described as the declining presence of Igbo-centred stories and cultural heritage in contemporary Nigerian cinema.

Duru had urged Igbo filmmakers and investors to learn from the Yoruba film industry’s approach to promoting and preserving cultural narratives.

Speaking on why Yoruba producers appear to command major cinema release windows and global streaming platforms such as Netflix, Duru blamed the situation partly on what he described as the failure of Igbo filmmakers to adapt, invest strategically and protect their regional stories.

“When they say charity begins at home, that’s what has happened to the Yorubas. We need to learn from them,” he said.