The emergence of the video film market in Nigeria is traced back to the 1980s when television productions thrived. Jimi Odumosu's "Evil Encounter", a 1980 horror film released directly on television, was the first production to be a pointer to how lucrative making film directly on video can be. The film was extensively promoted before being aired on the television, and as a result, had streets flooded in the following morning with video copies of the recorded broadcast. It was reported that the film became an instant hit at Alaba market, a commercial district which later became the hub of video distribution in this period and also eventually became the hub of piracy in Nigeria. Since "Evil Encounter", it became common, especially in Southern Nigerian cities to see video copies of recorded television programmes traded on the streets.