Nollywood actress and producer Mercy Johnson-Okojie publicly criticized Ghanaian television station Blazing TV for airing her movie The Firstborn without permission, joining a growing list of Nigerian filmmakers raising concerns about copyright infringement by Ghanaian broadcasters.
In an Instagram post on July 19, 2025, Johnson expressed shock and frustration, writing, “Ghana, Blazing TV. How is this even ok? Blazing TV in Ghana is showing my movie, The Firstborn, on their TV without my consent.
How does this even make sense? How? I am speechless at the audacity of it all.” She learned of the unauthorized broadcast after a fan alerted her to footage airing on Blazing TV, a MultiTV-affiliated station, just a day after the movie’s premiere on July 18, 2025.
Johnson’s outcry echoes similar complaints from Nollywood stars like Omoni Oboli, who threatened to escalate the issue to Ghana’s presidency, and Bimbo Ademoye, who in April 2025 tagged Ghana’s Minister of Communications, Sam Nartey George, and National Film Authority CEO Kafui Danku to address unauthorized broadcasts of her film Broken Hallelujah.
Following Ademoye’s complaint, Minister George responded on social media, assuring action to protect intellectual property rights and pledging collaboration with Nigeria’s film industry for mutual benefit.
The recurring issue, also affecting filmmakers like Ruth Kadiri and Hollywood’s Tyler Perry, has sparked calls for stronger regional copyright enforcement, with social media users urging Johnson to pursue legal action.
