Netnaija, a prominent Nigerian movie download platform, has ceased its movie downloads operations.
In recent years, Netnaija has been the target of multiple piracy charges from prominent Nollywood figures. Many of them feel that sites such as Netnaija prevent entertainers from enjoying the benefits of their labor. thus resulting in increased campaigns against illegal movie download platforms like Netnaija.
Now it seems that Netnaija will be shutting down after all. On Saturday, Netnaija issued a statement on its website indicating that movie downloads would no longer be available. It then went on to say that it would concentrate on other parts of the website.
The statement, which can be found on the platform’s official website, reads, “It started as a personal hobby, then grew to a group archive, and then achieved an enormous popularity that turned it into a fan favorite. Finally, it is sad for us to say goodbye to movies on Netnaija.
It was quite a ride while it lasted. It breaks our hearts to break the hearts of our esteemed visitors with this action. We have always pushed it back, but unfortunately, this time we will be going ahead.
To everyone who contributed to the growth in any way, be it by visiting, requesting, recommending, or any other means, we thank you and highly appreciate you.
To our legion of soldiers who represent us on social media and fight our battles, we thank you especially.
We hope we will continue to have you as we now focus on other sections of our services. Thank you, and God bless you.”
This news has devastated several fans who believe Netnaija provides quality entertainment to those who cannot afford internet data and costly streaming subscription fees.
However, industry experts believe this is a step in the right direction towards making Nollywood more profitable. Nevertheless, millions of people nationwide will miss the services Netnaija offered.