‘I can’t cope’, filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan laments over diesel price

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Kunle Afolayan

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By Emmanuel Okogba

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Nigerian filmmaker and director Kunle Afolayan has expressed concern over the rising cost of diesel in Nigeria, saying the situation is putting significant financial pressure on his businesses.

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Afolayan said he has been struggling to cope with the current diesel price of about N1,500 per litre, noting that the cost of powering his facilities has become increasingly difficult to sustain.

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“I’ve been sad, sad because I can’t cope with the N1,500 per litre of diesel. I can’t even comprehend it,” he said while speaking about the impact of energy costs on his operations.

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According to the filmmaker, one of his projects, the creative hub known as KAP Village, spends about N11 million on diesel within four to five weeks despite having solar power installed.

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“In one of the businesses that we run, the KAP Village, we spend about N11 million in four or five weeks on diesel. N11 million for five weeks,” he said.

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He explained that although the facility operates with solar energy, diesel is still required to power operations, particularly during periods when solar supply is insufficient.

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“And we have solar power, but we’re still spending about N11 million in four or five weeks. In Lagos KAP Hub, we still spend a lot on diesel, even though we have solar power,” he added.

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Afolayan described the situation as unsustainable, revealing that the business sometimes purchases diesel on credit to keep operations running.

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“It’s not sustainable. The diesel we’ve been buying, we’ve been buying on credit. When we make small money, we’ll find a way to pay. Sometimes it even takes two months to pay and then get another one on credit,” he said.

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He noted that the recent increase in diesel prices from around N1,000 per litre to about N1,500 has worsened the situation.

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“But now from like N1,000 or N995 to N1,500-something, we need a loan to upgrade our solar power,” he said.

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The filmmaker appealed for support to enable the business expand its renewable energy infrastructure.

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“So please, if you can come to our aid, I’ll really appreciate,” Afolayan said.

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