Nigerian filmmaker and entrepreneur, Kunle Afolayan, has appealed to the government for support after investing more than N8 billion of his personal funds in his resort, KAP Village, amid persistent electricity challenges.

Afolayan made the appeal during an interview with former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, on the Nidacity podcast, released on YouTube on Tuesday.

The filmmaker said KAP Village had remained without electricity since its establishment, forcing him to depend on diesel to power the resort’s operations.

He said the rising cost of diesel had become increasingly difficult to sustain, prompting him to consider shutting down the resort.

According to Afolayan, efforts to obtain diesel on credit had provided only temporary relief because the cost of running the facility remained unsustainable.

He said he was now exploring alternative energy sources, noting that about N200 million had already been invested in green energy, although the project was not sufficient to power the entire resort.

Afolayan argued that the scale of his investment justified government intervention, saying agencies of government should consider providing support to businesses that have made substantial contributions to the economy.

He noted that some businesses that had received government grants had invested considerably less than what he had committed to the resort.

The filmmaker also disclosed that he constructed 100 rooms at the film village after experiencing accommodation challenges while producing his movie, Anikulapo.

He said members of the cast and crew, including actors Sola Sobowale and Bimbo Ademoye, had to bring personal belongings such as mattresses and freezers from their homes because adequate accommodation was unavailable during production.

Afolayan said the experience prompted him to build the additional rooms at the film village to provide better accommodation for cast and crew members.