If You Attach 20 Years Jail Sentence With No Option For Fine, People Will Refrain from Piracy – Jide Kosoko

Veteran Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko has revealed that despite his decades-long fame and over 60 years of dedication to the film industry, he does not consider himself wealthy by Nigerian standards.

Speaking on The Honest Bunch podcast, the 71-year-old actor acknowledged that while he is financially comfortable, he cannot claim to be rich. “I have been in this [movie] industry for this long. I thank God that I can eat three square meals. But can I claim to be a rich man by Nigerian standards? No,” he stated.

Kosoko attributed the industry’s financial challenges largely to piracy, which he said has deeply affected the earnings of actors and filmmakers. He called for stricter penalties for those involved in piracy, arguing that the current punishments are not strong enough to deter offenders.

“The punishment in the copyright law for piracy is still not strong enough as far as I am concerned. Somebody who has been pirating people’s works for years is a billionaire, so how much do you want to fine him? Fine him N500 million, and he will just bring it out of what he has sold. But if you attach a 20-year jail sentence to it with no option of a fine, people will refrain from piracy,” Kosoko explained.

Jide Kosoko began his acting journey as a child actor in 1964 with the television production Makanjuola. Since then, he has appeared in hundreds of Nollywood movies, showcasing his talent in both English and Yoruba-language films.