Focus Nigeria
Kenya was Nollywood. Through these blockbusters, Nigeria became real – we were exposed to Nigerians telling their own stories and not us being told stories about Nigerians.”
perceptions about their West African brothers. “What changed it all for us in Kenya was Nollywood. Nigeria became real and we were exposed to Nigerians telling their own stories and not us being told stories about Nigerians. All of a sudden, there were VCDs and DVDs being sold of Nollywood blockbusters. For a long time, the only export Nigeria provided Kenya with was bad news.”
It is not surprising that the growth of the Nigerian film industry has attracted serious attention from the diaspora. The annual African movie awards, AMAA, which acknowledge the best actors and actresses around the continent, has become an important fixture on the entertainment calendar.
Academia has not been left out of the Nollywood phenomena, as scholars from around the world continue to
take an increased interest in the cultural influence of Nigerian movies.
The inauguration of The Centre for Nollywood Studies at the School of Media and Communication at the Pan-African University in Lagos, on 23 July 2011, attracted film scholars from several countries, including the USA, Barbados, Italy, India and South Africa.
According to the university, it has constituted an advisory board for the centre and taken other preliminary steps, aimed at ensuring the smooth running of the centre. With requisite partnerships and public/private support, the school hopes to have a film scholar in annual residence to carry out substantial research work. But the expected metamorphosis of
Kalu Ikeagwu and (right) Genevieve Nnaji
Kuti, there is no question that Nigerian movies have become one of the country’s top cultural exports, as they have become hugely popular in Anglophone African countries, with the creation of the “Africa Magic” channel on DSTV, the continental satellite network. Rita Dominic, one of the major actresses in Nollywood, was taken on a tour of Malawi in May 2009, signing autographs for her large following of fans in Lilongwe and Blantyre.
And as the Kenyan journalist, Kevin Mwachiro, admitted, the influx of Nigerian movies into Kenya has changed, positively,
86 | October 2011 | New African
Nollywood into a world-class industry that can effectively compete with America’s
Hollywood and India’s Bollywood, will still take some time to come.
Nollywood is yet, for the most part,
unable to produce movies with the technical competence and sophisticated plotlines of their international competitors, as a result of the dearth of top-range equipment and experienced scriptwriters, directors and producers.. Once those hurdles are overcome, in addition to funding challenges, the Nigerian film industry will be well on its way to the top.
“What changed it all for us in
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