Ghana to Sanction TV Stations Airing Nigerian Movies Without Permission in Nollywood Copyright Crackdown

Ghana is preparing to take tough action against television stations accused of illegally broadcasting Nigerian films, in a move that could reshape how foreign content is aired across the country’s television industry.

The planned crackdown was disclosed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Film Authority (NFA), James Gardiner, during a conversation with Nigerian film producer Uchenna Mbunabo. The discussion focused on the long-running complaints by Nollywood producers over alleged copyright infringement by some Ghanaian broadcasters.

Mbunabo accused several television stations in Ghana of downloading Nigerian movies from YouTube and airing them without obtaining permission from the rightful owners.

“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?” the filmmaker asked.

Responding, Gardiner made it clear that such practices are not permitted under Ghanaian law. “It’s not legalised,” he said, adding that authorities are already working on measures to address the issue.

Explaining the government’s next steps, Gardiner revealed that the National Film Authority has been engaging key regulators, including the Ministry of Communications, the National Media Commission (NMC) and the National Communications Authority (NCA), to strengthen enforcement.

“We’ve met with the Ministry of Communication together with NMC and NCA, they govern our TV stations in the country. We’re trying to make law to revoke all licences and all of them will now come to apply afresh,” Gardiner stated.

When asked how soon the reforms could take effect, he expressed optimism that the process would be completed by 2027.

The latest development comes after several prominent Nollywood stars—including Bimbo Ademoye, Omoni Oboli, Mercy Johnson and Ruth Kadiri—publicly accused some Ghanaian television stations of illegally airing their movies without authorisation or paying licensing fees.

If implemented, the proposed sanctions are expected to strengthen copyright protection for filmmakers, discourage piracy and reinforce legitimate content licensing between Ghanaian broadcasters and Nigeria’s thriving film industry.