Filmhouse and Genesis, two cinema exhibitors, have temporary shutdown operations in Lagos in compliance with state government’s restriction on large gatherings to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Filmhouse released a statement on Sunday, announcing the closure “to ensure the maximum safety of our guests and staff.”

“In response to state government advice concerning the spread of COVID-19. we are temporarily closing all of our Lagos cinemas to ensure the maximum safety of our guests and staff,” it said.

“We look forward to welcoming you with the best possible cinema experience as soon as things return to normal.

“In the meantime, continue to follow the recommended guidelines for hygiene and social distancing in order to keep yourself, family, and friends safe and healthy.”

In the same vein, Genesis Cinemas announced that it has suspended operations across all of its sites in the commercial city.

“We’ve been monitoring the developments with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). At Genesis Cinemas, our top priority is the health and safety of our customers and team members,” it added.

“In the light of the most recent information available, we are taking precautionary measures to temporarily suspend all operations at our Lagos sites effective immediately.

“As this is an evolving situation, we will keep you updated and we look forward to welcoming you back soon with the best cinema experience.”

The shutdown of cinemas in Nigeria comes at a time when the global showbiz industry has been greatly hit, with film analysts suggesting the outbreak could wipe $5bn off the global box office.

Following the suspension of film production projects in China, long-scheduled cinema releases had been stalled while Nollywood’s first-ever collaboration with Bollywood was similarly postponed.