Nollywood actress and filmmaker Mercy Johnson-Okojie has publicly called out Ghanaian television station Blazing TV for allegedly airing her movie The Firstborn without her consent.
In an Instagram post shared on July 19, 2025, Mercy Johnson expressed her shock and frustration after a fan alerted her to the unauthorized broadcast. She shared a screenshot of the fan’s message and questioned the blatant disregard for copyright and intellectual property rights.
“How is this even okay? Blazing TV in Ghana is airing my movie The Firstborn without my consent. How does this even make sense? How? I am speechless at the audacity of it all,” she wrote.
Mercy’s post has since sparked fresh conversations around the unauthorized use of Nigerian films on Ghanaian platforms, a concern that appears to be growing within the Nollywood community.
Not an Isolated Incident
Mercy Johnson is the latest in a string of Nigerian filmmakers who have spoken out against copyright violations by Ghanaian media outlets.
In April 2025, fellow Nollywood star Bimbo Ademoye also took to social media to criticize Ghanaian TV channels for airing her films without approval. She went as far as tagging prominent Ghanaian officials, including the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, and the CEO of the National Film Authority, Kafui Danku, urging them to intervene.
That same month, veteran actress and producer Omoni Oboli accused several Ghanaian broadcasters of uploading Nigerian films to YouTube without securing distribution rights. While acknowledging the support of Ghanaian fans, she emphasized the need for local broadcasters to respect the creative rights of Nigerian filmmakers.
“We love our Ghanaian audience, but it’s disappointing that some stations rely on Nollywood content without following the proper licensing processes,” Omoni said at the time.
Growing Concern Over Copyright Abuse
The repeated complaints point to a broader issue: the lack of enforcement of copyright laws across West African media landscapes. For many Nollywood filmmakers, the unauthorized broadcast of their work represents a serious financial and creative violation, especially considering the investment involved in producing original content.
Industry insiders are now calling for stronger collaboration between Nigerian and Ghanaian film authorities to protect intellectual property rights, prevent piracy, and ensure fair compensation for creators.
As of now, Blazing TV has not issued a public statement in response to Mercy Johnson’s accusation.
