The Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) has addressed concerns over the increasing influence of celebrity meet-and-greets on movie schedules, emphasising the need for fair exhibition practices.
While acknowledging the excitement these events bring, CEAN says it is introducing new regulations to ensure that all films—whether heavily promoted or not—receive equitable screening opportunities.
Shileola Ibironke, CEAN’s Publicity Secretary, speaking on Newscentral’s Jasiri highlighted the significance of meet-and-greets in enhancing fan engagement.
“There is a joyous feel of releasing a movie and the feel that it’s also like a known celebrity that has just released this movie,” she said.
“So you’re connecting with your fans to come to the cinema hall area for meet-and-greets. It’s actually a two-way connection. Aside from watching the movie, you’re also meeting the celebrity that you follow on social media.” She added.
Despite the benefits, the unregulated nature of meet-and-greet events has raised concerns about their impact on cinema scheduling. To address this, CEAN is implementing guidelines to manage how these gatherings take place without restricting them outright.
“It’s not a bad idea to have meet-and-greets, but the way it has been operating, the activities that have occurred around meet-and-greets are what we’re trying to regulate now. When the meet-and-greet happens, it should be at designated areas.”

Ibironke insists CEAN’s primary objective is to maintain a level playing field where all movies, regardless of their marketing strength or celebrity backing, have an equal chance to reach audiences.
“We are not banning meet-and-greets, we’re just saying that we must have fair operations for all movies because we’re an exhibiting platform. We must showcase all movies and promote them,” Ibironke stated.
She further emphasised that films without major social media hype should not be sidelined.
“Even if your movie does not have the right buzzword outside, you should still have a fair operating exhibiting time, and the other new movies should not shroud and overcloud other titles that have been showcased on the movie schedule per day.”
She believes that with these new measures, cinemas across Nigeria will continue to provide the excitement of celebrity engagements while ensuring that every film, big or small, gets its deserved moment in the spotlight