Top filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has weighed in on the ‘area boys’ menace that has gone under the skin of some of his colleagues. Omoni Oboli recently cried out after Lagos area boys gave her a torrid time while filming within the metropolis.
But Kunle said that Lagos area boys weren’t a problem for him as he had his ways of dealing with them which include engaging them to do menial jobs. Speaking from the set of ‘Roti’, Kunle told The Nation how he deals with them.
He said, “For me, I think the manner of approach is also very key. In fact, it’s not as bad in Lagos as Abeokuta and Ibadan. In fact, there, they (area boys) would hardly even listen to you at all. But here (Lagos), for me, I’m always able to control them. I just need to speak to them and we’ll now put them to use. Once they come, we’ll give them roles, give them things to do. Sometimes, we’ll make them as security. Sometimes, we’ll use them as extras in the film. And they would get paid for it. So, that’s how I’ve always handled things.”
Kunle has been active in the Nigerian film industry since 2005, making several popular titles including: The Figurine: Araromire which was in the Yoruba and English languages and Phone Swap which featured Wale Ojo, Joke Silva, Nse Ikpe Etim and the legendary Chika Okpala. The Figurine won five major awards in the African Film Academy and experienced tremendous success in the Nigerian movie theaters.