A debate has emerged about which tribe started and owns the Nollywood industry. This comes following claims made by actress, Aisha Lawal that Yoruba actors and filmmakers own Nollywood because they started it.
“Nollywood” being one of the largest film industries in the world was coined by the New York Times journalist Norimitsu Onishi in 2002 after observing film-making activity in Lagos, Nigeria.
In the 19th century when movie production began in Nigeria, the early stories were united by popular themes such as love, marriage and conflicts with mothers-in-law.
Film-makers went further to produce movies based on the themes of love, betrayal, conflict, deception and triumph.
In the early days, movies such as ‘Living in Bondage’, ‘Rattlesnake’, ‘Violated Glamour Girls’, and ‘Nneka the Pretty Serpent’ were financially very successful.
Years went by and Nigeria continue to dominate the movie industry around the world and gracing most of the world entertainment movie productions.
However, a debate has erupted following an interview of actress Aisha Lawal on Tribune where she said that the industry belongs to the Yoruba people although they messed up at some point.
“We own the industry. Go back to research. The industry belongs to the Yoruba people. If you go back to research, you will hear from people like Hubert Ogunde and Ade Love. I don’t want to go into details. But, if you go and research very well, you will discover that Yorubas own this industry, we started this industry. We messed up at some point, but we are not playing catch-up. We are there already. Now, everybody wants to shoot a Yoruba movie.”
This comment brought about mixed reactions from Nigerians who believe the Igbos own Nollywood.
Investigative journalist, David Hundeyin took to Twitter to share a throwback tweet where he predicted that Nollywood would be taken away from the Asaba people and claimed as been started in Lagos.
On July 9, 2022, Hundeyin wrote; “The same thing will eventually happen to Nollywood as it gets bigger. One day when it is global, a documentary produced in London will reduce Asaba and Onitsha to footnotes, and claim that Nollywood started in Lagos. The Asaba people will cry but where are their stories?”
As a result of this, many have showed concerned about Aisha Lawal’s comment and taken to social media to share their thoughts.
maryremmynjoku: I think she is right. That's why it's called Yollywood. Nigerians don't know how to pronounce it. And every Nigerian filmmaker was granted a Yorobian citizenship to be part of the industry.
It’s a big issue I have with Igbo people. There is very little interest in investing in media that doesn’t yield profit. I’m always proud of how Yoruba people document their history for the world to know. Yoruba culture managed to withstand transatlantic slavery!
— HennyitbetterbePrivilege (@truealmondjoy) August 27, 2023
Yourubas can take over Nollywood it okay. Nobody is against that
— Nuel (@nuella16) June 18, 2023
What of “Things fall Apart” and Kenneth Nnebue’s “Living in Bondage”
— Baron Chymaker.???? (@chymaker) August 27, 2023
We know he was the first to spearhead moving making in Nigeria, right ?
What would have been of Nollywood without the marketing by igbo traders in Alaba, Aba and upper iweka . You can have a product but without marketing it's nothing. You don't see the igbos making noise about it. We bring tribalism into everything .
— King Max (@maxtopazz) August 27, 2023
Lmaooo anyone who believes this is below 15 because even people as young as 20 knows where it started and the people that carried Nollywood
— IRUNNIA (@Irunnia_) August 27, 2023
Yourubas can take over Nollywood it okay. Nobody is against that
— Nuel (@nuella16) June 18, 2023
Nollywood with Enugu and Asaba ! I knw it , they try to rewrite history, there is different between Nollywood and drama and stage performance ???? ! Nollywood is Enugu 1990 !
— chinenye Ada Igbo Biafra ❤️ #Mgboto Owerri . ???????? (@oziudo) August 27, 2023
Nollywood actually started in Enugu
— Kènè???????? (@kenenicholas) August 27, 2023
