A wave of speculation has engulfed Nigeria’ s South- East region, particularly among those identifying as Biafrans, following the purported declaration of the ” United States of Biafra” on November 29 in Lahti, Finland.....Read Full Article>>
The declaration, led by Simon Ekpa, a controversial self- styled ” Prime Minister” of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, has triggered mixed reactions and widespread discourse across social media and beyond.
Supporters of Simon Ekpa gathered in Finland for a convention on November 29, during which they reportedly announced the independence of the United States of Biafra. This development, seen by some as symbolic and by others as provocative, has intensified ongoing debates about Nigeria’ s unity and the decades- old agitation for Biafra’ s independence.
Barely 24 hours after the Biafra convention concluded, rumours began circulating online, claiming that popular movie- streaming platform Netflix had announced its exit from the Nigerian market due to theBiafran declaration.
The speculation gained traction among Biafran supporters, with many asserting that the streaming giant’ s alleged withdrawal was a precautionary response to the unfolding political developments.
A Biafran supporter, identified as @VictorA39172619 on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), wrote: ” After the effects of the declaration of the United States of Biafra, every company in the Zoo [Nigeria] are taking precautionary measures until further notice. ”
The confusion appears to stem from remarks made by renowned Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan during the 2024 Zuma International Film Festival. Afolayan disclosed that Netflix had recently cancelled several projects by unnamed filmmakers, prompting speculation about the company’ s long- term strategy in Nigeria.
” When we signed the three- film deal with Netflix three years ago, it was a moment of great excitement, ” Afolayan stated. However, he expressed concerns about the cancellations, which he described as a potential setback for local creatives.
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