Reno Omokri, a former media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has asserted that the feisty crime thriller ‘Gangs of Lagos’ demarketed Nigeria.

The movie, which follows the story of three friends, Obalola (Tobi Bakre), Gift (Adesua Etomi-Wellington), and Ify (Chike-Ezekpeazu Osebuka), who each have to navigate their own destiny growing up on the rough and bustling streets of Isale Eko, Lagos, has been met with mixed reactions since hitting the screens on April 7, 2023.

A cultural group, Alakt Pupa kalaba kun, the Lagos State Government, and the National Association of Emerging Artists (NAEA) have all called for the withdrawal of the movie over “cultural misrepresentation”.

Lending his voice to the call, Omokri said demarketing one’s own country through movies is like punching holes in a ship on which you are a passenger.

He said the essence of a movie industry is not just to make money but also to market a country.

In a tweet on Thursday, Omokri wrote, “On the movie Gangs of Lagos, the purpose of a movie industry isn’t solely to make money for movie producers." The big picture is to market your country. De-marketing your country through movies is like punching holes in a ship on which you are a passenger. Who loses?”