…Says, ‘I didn’t anticipate the backlash that greeted the streaming of the movie on Netflix’
By Benjamin Njoku
Nollywood actor producer Daniel Etim Effiong has opened up about the controversy that followed the streaming of his movie “The Herd” on Netflix.
In an interview, Effiong explained that he set out to tell an “impactful, heartfelt story” and did not expect the negative reaction that greeted the film’s teaser, which shows herders crossing a road with cattle, a scene many interpreted as a jab at Fulani communities.
Effiong said he consulted widely with Fulani people and Muslims before production, and that the script was written by Lani Asiadi without targeting any particular ethnic group. He described the film as well researched and emphasized that the story was meant to reflect Nigeria’s harsh realities, not to promote stereotypes.
“I didn’t anticipate the backlash. I just wanted to tell a heart-felt story. How I know that the story would be heart-felt is that if I’m moved by the telling of the story, then I’m sure that someone else will also be moved by it. That was what I went out to do, to tell an impactful story,” he said.
The film sparked mixed reactions. Some northern viewers condemned it and called for its removal, arguing that it links Hausa and Fulani speaking characters to banditry, portrays Igbos as selfish, depicts churches as complicit in crime, and shows police as lazy. Others defended the work as a realistic portrayal of insecurity, ransom demands and corruption.
When contacted, Dr. Shaibu Husseni, Chief Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), clarified that the board classified “The Herd” as a work of fiction and required a disclaimer stating that the characters, languages and events are not based on real persons or groups. He stressed that the NFVCB balances creative freedom with social responsibility and will issue further guidance to filmmakers to avoid negative stereotyping.
Writer Lani Aisida responded that once a work is released, audiences are free to interpret it, but he urged viewers to watch the full film before forming an opinion.
Directed by Daniel Etim Effiong and starring Nancy Isime and Bimbo Ademoye, “The Herd” was released this year to spotlight Nigeria’s ongoing battles with insecurity, ransom demands and corruption.
