₦airaland Forum

coogar:
you don't know regina askia? most beautiful girl in nigeria (89)
she had to be the finest nollywood actress when she was in her prime.
better than the ones of today with their [i]agege bread [/i]accent!

regina epitomizes class!
although she's a bit old now.
but in her prime, she's untouchable.

https://nigeriamovies.net/profilepictures/askia1.jpg
https://nigeriamovies.net/profilepictures/askia.jpg

oh ok, well she is pretty but she is not current now

coogar:
the most beautiful nollywood actresses.

1) regina askia
2) genevieve nnaji
3) omotola ekehinde
4) stella damasus
5) dakore egbuson
6) lilian bach
7) caro ekanem
rita dominic.

the others are in the 2nd division.
ini edo, chika ike, mercy johnson, tonto dikeh, etc are in the 3rd tier.

well nice list

can you post me a picture of Regina Askia? I am not familiar with her, thanks

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coogar:
20?
i don't even think they are up to 8.

ok, then what is your list then?, lol

coogar:
where's your list?

Be patient, unless you want to mention your top 20 list

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MUSIC FROM TIWA SAVAGE
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Siena:
I think it would be best if you start a fresh thread, for the top 20, we'll get told off for derailling otherwise, hehehe.

Good idea, I may do one but the list may be a little different but I guess it won't hurt

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[quote author=baby-boy link=topic=734127.msg9434934#msg9434934 date=1319792343]Upon all the movies these ladies have churn out none of them have grossed close to £250k even a IndecentStar has earned more than that?[/quote]wow, ok. Well lets at least congratulate them that they are at least earning something in the millions

Siena:
Biola Ige's really attractive too. Perhaps we should go for the top 20, lol.

yeah she is really pretty, there is nothing wrong with a top 20; why not?

what is your top 20 list?

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=800561.msg9534183#msg9534183 date=1321044039]What Kim needs to do is to send a message to Eminem to have Mariah shut up for good.

Cant ever forget this:

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PS: Mariah is right tho [/quote]Ileke , lol

iice:
[color=#9900ff]Haven't seen anything that spectacular from him. Most people are just concerned with his 'hotness', not his talent. But atleast he understands that we have to elevate and not stick to certain things. [/color]

lol, I agree

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[img]http://farafinabooks.files./2010/03/13-14th-century-seated-figure.jpg[/img]
http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f6/must-see-show-ife-exhibit-changes-ideas-about-african-art-233838/

ogugua88:
What's worse is that it's not even like he had a prior engagement. According to Linda Ikeji's blog, Channel O did put him on a waiting list and try to book him a business class seat but they were full. Lack of humility. Too much pride. First class/business class people arrive at the same time as economy class. God forbid the plane crashes, death doesn't discriminate. Such a shame that he's disappointing hundreds of people expecting him to perform for a petty reason.

well I wish him good luck because if he continues with that behavior it willing catch up with him, especially his african fans that's basically almost all his fans

[quote author=LT_Versati link=topic=801394.msg9533685#msg9533685 date=1321039531]Sources in South Africa are telling us that D’banj allegedly told the organizers he has ‘bigger issues to deal with’.

The Channel O producers are now in last minute rush trying to trouble shoot.

read more here --> http://korrectnation.com/?p=20492[/quote]Wow D'banj is starting to get big headed & conceited now with his career, I am not against his preference in getting first class if he has the money for it but if you have prior engagement in a way to attend this award and make a excuse not to come, that it's because you don't want to be in economy class, then he has a problem. He needs to start realizing you don't stay up forever(especially as a singer in Nigeria in African world or Afrobeat music) and if billionaires like Bill Gates & etc have been known to fly economy class, and are 100x richer then D'banj then it shouldn't really be a problem for him.

publisher:
Nigerian women are eager to get married before they turn 30. Women in their 20s are still regarded as desirable in our society,they have options and can be justified in their 'shakara' toward suitors. But once they cross the 30 mark,desperation sets in and more often than not,she becomes any man's game. Here's a look at four types of men Nigerian women readily settle for:

1.Tall,Dark and Handsome:
Believe it or not. Most Nigerian women dont like light skinned men,especially the 'pretty boys'. Why? Well,Nigerian women share same pattern with their male folks which considers light skinned people to be very attractive. But while Nigerian men rush to marry light skinned girls,Nigerian women get intimidated by them cos they feel that once married,other women will not allow their husbands rest. However,the tall,dark ,handsome male is relatively a safer haven for Nigerian women,i still dont know why though, another irony is that most of these women still prefer having light skinned children.

2. Heavily Built:
We are not talking about fat boyz here,but well built ,strong looking Nigerian men. Most Nigerian women like men they can be proud of in public,hugely built men are a must have any day. It gives the Nigerian woman a sense of protection and security.

3. VERY RICH UGLY MEN:
Some Nigerian women believe that marrrying a not so goodlooking man who happens to be very rich is the best thing that can happen to them. They erroneously believe that since their hubbys are not so good looking,other women will not disturb them ( Boy,are they sooooo wrong).And even if her hubby is becomes wayward,she still has his money to enjoy. The only sad part is that Nigerian women who have opted for this option prefer attending social functions alone,in their work place computers or BBs,you'll never see their hubbys' picture as screen savers. And if they happen to give birth to children who look like their husbands, well,thats a very sad mother!

4. Men of God.
The 'chistian' Nigerian woman will do anything to be the wife of a born again christian or pastor,especially the successful ones. The main reason while this pattern is gaining popularity is due to the ease at which such a relationship is consummated. All they need to do is 'hear from the lord' and every other thing follows. And if these men of God end up becoming 'really' successful,that's heaven on earth for the Nigerian women. Also,many Nigerian women believe that men of God are less likely to cheat.

very interesting assessment but I must make a correction for you, there are some Nigerian women that like a combination of all in the list or don't like something in each of those list; so it isn't as clear cut as you put in your list but if I had to grade you so far in what you wrote, I will give you a 7/10

Rgp92:
Why are white people so racist on the internet? This is internet dude, now shut the fvck up.

There is nothing wrong with you asking this question but no society is pure in the world from disputes between groups(whether racial, ethnic, religious and etc) it's inevitable. There's religious fighting in the middle east since the times of Abraham in the bible between Arabs and Hebrews(Jews); racial & ethnic fighting is in most parts of the world even the western world as mighty as they make themselves feel they are not immune to it as well( and at times it is worse). Some societies just know how to move forward with it, some stay at a stand still with it, some are transitioning themselves from it, and some societies are backwards as a result of it. However I must warn you, your question will in directly bring in the tribal people you are complaining about & if you are Nigerian I feel you should already know that answer to your question.

Lastly don't mistake tribal pride & staying with ones tribe(like marriage and etc) with tribal bigotry or hate; I have noticed some people in nairaland mix those two things together and don't know the difference

iice:
[color=#9900ff]Whiskers!  Thanks for reminding me of Blood Diamond  

@anonymous.
When i said he's a character actor, that means there are only certain roles he's able to play.  That may or may not have been his direction but it's what suits him.  I've seen his work and he's alright (that doesn't mean bad).  Better in Oz though.  If you haven't seen Oz, go watch it for his performance.  Prolly his best so far.[/color]

I know what character actors are, but I understand what you mean. I never saw oz, so Ill check it out

About Madea I agree, but I think Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje is a good actor

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You need to see him in the show lost, the movie the mummy, and Bourne Identity with Matt Damon, he was good

omar22:
In 1992, the debut of Kenneth Nnebue’s movie Living in Bondage brought a new twist to the then growing motion picture industry in Nigeria.

Shot straight-to-video, it was the first Nollywood blockbuster movie which kicked off the Nigerian cinema industry. By the following year, more film makers tapped into this eye-opening trend and Nollywood was born.

Today Nollywood’s growth has been stunted by piracy and lack of professionalism by many practitioners. It has become an free-for-all affair and avenue for people to attain cheap fame and make quick money. From Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya to Egypt, most of what is known about Nigeria as a country has been through Nollywood.

Yet little or no attention has been paid to the money-spinning industry that would have been a good source of revenue for the country. Efforts by current investors in the industry have been bedevilled by piracy.

Taiwo Ajai-Lycette, a veteran Nigerian stage actress who featured in many productions in Nigeria including a TV series in the 1970s, Winds Against My Soul, expresses her angst with the quality of production and the quantity of works spurned by directors whom she says are not in tune with the times.

“We don’t have to be at the state we are now when it comes to film-making in this 21st Century,” she said. “There are new technologies which some filmmakers are not conversant with. I am knocking the quality. Veteran artistes are those who have travelled on stage. The basic knowledge that you acquire as an actor is on stage which many actors today don’t have.”

These days, people want to be part of Nollywood to gain popularity. This kind of bankrupt thinking has led Nollywood to the stagnant position it is currently.

“You can’t make money without making incredible art,” adds Ajai-Lycette. “You have to be an artiste to make it in the industry. Money is a by-product of creativity. It should come as a direct product of what we do. If we only think of the money, we are going to be poor as artistes. Thinking is a very hard business.”

Most Nigerian films are characterised by badly written scripts which lack depth. Film critics have traced this to the lack of reading culture among scriptwriters, directors and actors. And to be an artist, in Ajai-Lycette’s words, “is to be absolutely widely read.”

Weak scripts

She argues that if an artiste is not educated there is no way he can interpret the works of Wole Soyinka, for example, because as a writer, he translates the philosophy of his people.

Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw-Nuttal agrees with the poor quality of work in Nollywood and the fact that Ajai-Lycette rejected the script sent to her.

“It’s almost three years now,” she explained, “I have not starred in any Nollywood movie. I believe I have reached a point where I have come to be known for good quality work. If the prop guys pay attention to detail and the directors do their work well, Nollywood will be a better industry.”

While some practitioners decry poor quality of production, others like Dejumo Lewis take issue with the name of the industry itself, Nollywood, which is a derivative of America’s Hollywood. “Nollywood is not original. The name Naija Movies would be best.”

In addition, he has problem with the way Nigerian culture is portrayed. “Art is about stating the reality and the ideal,” he said. “It must mirror and give what should be. We should ask ourselves what kind of culture we communicate through our works.”

As a developmental step for the entertainment industry, President Goodluck Jonathan in November last year announced the Federal Government’s investment of $200 million (30 billion naira) into the development of the entertainment industry.

And in January this year, the president through Olusegun Aganga, the minister of finance, announced that the Special Entertainment Fund will be disbursed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) as single-digit interest rate loans.

It is the first time in the country that the Federal Government will make such funds available for the entertainment industry of which Nollywood is a big part.

Returns

At a stakeholders’ meeting held recently in Lagos and convened on behalf of the presidency by Oronto Douglas, special adviser to the president on policy, Mahmoud Alli Balogun, film producer and director, observed that a proper framework must be put in place for the survival of the industry for investors to get returns on their money.

“Nollywood is an industry that survives on the ordinary marketing strategy used by traders in selling their wares,” he says. “Anybody can be a filmmaker in today’s Nollywood. The survival of this industry can be possible if proper structures are put in place. Our services are currently informal. We want to make them formal. It was in 2009 that Motion Picture producers of Nigeria tried to set up a model for selling our works. This can be adopted.”

And Desmond Elliot, an actor who has featured in some films produced in Ghana, decries how piracy has destroyed Nollywood such that Ghana, a new entrant, has a stronger industry.

“We don’t sell more than 1,000 copies of our films,” he says. “Our works are pirated on a daily basis and video clubs give out our works. They make the money more than us. We invest so much and we get little. We still sell our movies in VCDs and not DVDs. It is a shame.”

Speaking from her experience as a producer, Stephanie Okere observes that investing in today’s Nollywood is like putting money into an ocean without getting returns.

“The hawking of movies on the streets should be banned,” she says. “To access the fund made available by the Federal Government through BoI, what we need are guarantors and not going through the Lagos Business School as the list of conditions suggest.”

Segun Arinze pleads with his colleagues to make the fund available to everyone. “Industry practitioners must be careful and must know that the money must go round. We are asking them to go for true industry practitioners and not friends.”

Endowment fund

Nigeria is definitely coming late to the dinner table to take a place among countries of the world which have Arts Endowment Funds and it seems the presidency’s current focus with the $200 million fund is just on Nollywood. There are other aspects of the industry like performing arts which includes dance, theatre arts, music and the visual arts.

What the presidency must work towards, says Jahman Anikulapo, Sunday editor of The Guardian newspaper, is creating a fund which encompasses all aspects of the arts.

“Since 1988 when I started reporting arts, I have been writing and pushing for Nigeria to have a cultural policy. The policy is yet to be passed. It is important for government to pass this policy and then create an endowment fund for the arts.”

Be that as it may, it is crucial that Nollywood practitioners put their house in order. It is an industry that is currently riddled by factions created by longstanding feuds, malice, petty jealousies, supremacy fights, and discrimination along the lines of who belongs to what genre and who does not.

Perhaps it is for this reason some prominent faces in Nollywood were not present at the stakeholders meeting. It is only when Nollywood begins to take itself seriously that other meaningful investors can come in and a better return on investment is assured.

Bury hatchet

Kanayo O. Kanayo, an actor, knows this too well: “We must bury the hatchet and forget whatever we have against one another. We have to become friends. Whoever wants to have access to the money must go through the various associations set up for practitioners in the industry.”

Regardless of its current challenges, Nollywood has taught the rest of Africa how film can be a powerful socio-cultural and economic export to the rest of the world such that Ghana is fast developing its movie industry and is collaborating with filmmakers in Nigeria.

There is a new crop of filmmakers who are combining intelligent storylines with great film techniques. Among these new crop of filmmakers is Kunle Afolayan, the producer of The Figure, which won in five categories in last year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Their works show the emergence of a new Nollywood.

Toni Kan, film critic, describes the new Nollywood as an industry that’s looking past the straight-to-video model.

“What the New Nollywood will do is direct world attention to us in a way that begins to bring in much needed interventions to the industry technically and financially. The New Nollywood will engender a paradigm shift. It will see the transition of Nigerian movies from what I call the ‘DSTV ghetto channels’.

BBC news special on How Nigeria Impacted The Rest Of Africa


https://www.menas.co.uk/images/site/main_images/Nigerian%20Flag_rounded.jpg

[b]" As Nigeria celebrates 50 years of independence, BBC reporters look at the impact Africa's most populous nation has had on countries around the continent - from its movie industry and peacekeeping efforts to its notoriety for ingenious scams.

GHANA   https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/images/2008/05/23/ghana_flag_140x105.jpg
There is no mistaking the ancient cultural and linguistic ties between the neighbours. However, the post-colonial relationship has been characterised by a kind of sibling rivalry. Nigeria is highly respected for leading effective peacekeeping in the region, and at the same time mocked for failing to ensure peace in Nigeria. While Ghana takes pride in leading the continental way in independence, democratisation, and more recently, in sporting achievements.

An estimated 1m Nigerian nationals and dual citizens live and work in Ghana and, paradoxically, communication has been made easier by a shared colonial intervention - the English language and its pidgin variants. And if you go to any home or office in Accra at any time of day, you'll find Ghanaians glued to a television set. Invariably the attraction, or distraction, is a Nollywood movie with common themes of supernatural causes, twisted love, and thrilling crime. Nigerian R&B has also captured the musical tastes of Ghana's urban youth in a big way.

On the streets of Accra I asked some people what the first thing that came to mind with the mention of Nigeria. "Brotherhood," said Stephen Ofosu, a commercial driver. "What I like about Nigerians is that they are hard working in business." Pressed for negative aspects, the answer flowed promptly and unimpeded. "Fraudsters and 419," he replied, referring to the scams often run by well-organised gangs known by the penal code which outlaws them in Nigeria. Laurentia, a higher education student, added: "Whenever a set of armed robbers is caught here, definitely there will be two Nigerians among them."

More wide-ranging positive views came from Nana Akua: "Nigerians like to dress traditionally when it comes to international occasions, we also take pride in our culture but our leaders dress like the whites when they go abroad."

DR CONGO
In sprawling Kinshasa, the only means of transportation is a fleet of ancient, battered taxis.

And if the city does not grind to a complete halt, it is thanks to a network of largely Nigerian traders who provide drivers with precious spare parts.

Huddled around the Kimpwanza roundabout, hundreds of colourful shops display the rare English-language signs visible in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital. "Chance Motors", "In God We Trust Auto" and their neighbours proudly display man-high piles of headlamps, starters and brake pads.

Those entrepreneurs use their connections in West Africa, a global exchange for second-hand automobile parts, to import the much sought-after pieces of mechanics.

Each garage specialises in one or several car manufacturers. For example, if you own a Ford and break down, your only hope is Nigerian-owned Lita Motors, where orders are taken in English or in the local Lingala - but not in the official French.

And perhaps it is the language barrier that has stopped Nollywood, as the Nigerian film industry is known, becoming the phenomenon it has in other African countries.

LIBYA   
While Nigeria's cultural influence may have been huge across other parts of Africa, neither Nollywood nor Naija groove has reached Libya, despite the many illegal Nigerian migrants who regularly cross the desert to reach the North Africa country in the hope of eventually reaching Europe.

To many here, the only thing the two countries share is oil. Their experiences of illegal migrants largely perpetuate negative images of Nigeria and its people, who are viewed as untrustworthy and as being at the forefront of drug smuggling and robberies.

However, you will occasionally come across a Tripoli resident with a positive anecdote - like how they enjoyed practising English with their Nigerian household help.

On the political front, although Nigeria may be seen by some as the giant of Africa, Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi seems to like putting the West Africa nation in its place. Earlier this year, he suggested - to the fury of Nigerian MPs - that the country split in two along religious lines. Shortly after he went even further suggesting the country fragment into several states along ethnic grounds.

CAMEROON   https://www.myplayerschoice.com/product_images/q/361/cameroon_flag_wave2__56272_thumb.jpg
Some 3,000 boundary pillars are being planted along the Cameroon-Nigeria border - it is hoped they will prevent further disputes between the neighbours which nearly went to war over the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsular. The conflict was the peak of their mutual suspicion and several lives have been lost in border skirmishes over the years.

Cameroon has long viewed her giant neighbour as an imperialist-in-the-making, especially given Nigerians' ballooning population. They began arriving Cameroon in the early colonial days as fishermen, traders and administrators. Their population is now estimated at more than 4m out of a population of 19.5m.

They own virtually all motor spare part shops and now Nigerian Pentecostal pastors are setting up everywhere and performing supposed miracle-healing services. But many young Cameroonians think churches are flourishing businesses and have joined the race to become pastors, prophets, deacons and overnight bishops. They seem to be in a hurry to transform beer parlours into prayer grounds.

Truly, the "Naija" brand is here and no-one can ignore it. Nollywood films are popular in homes, video clubs and TV channels. Cameroon's young film sector is benefiting from the expertise of their Nigerian friends who have jointly produced a few Made In Cameroon videos. Nigerian gospel music also has enveloped the place and the likes of the P-Square duo have been thoroughly embraced by the youth. But it is not one-way traffic: Many Cameroonians have for decades studied in Nigerian universities.

Perhaps the most concrete evidence of the thawing of relations is the eminent construction of a multi-million dollar highway from Enugu in Nigeria to Mutengene in Cameroon. No-one seems happier than merchants of both countries.

KENYA  
For a long time the only export Nigeria provided Kenya was bad news. Stories of corruption, rogue pastors, hustlers, conmen, scams, even worse traffic than Nairobi and lots and lots of people. The only positive tales were literary, thanks to Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Elechi Amadi.

What changed it all for us in Kenya was Nollywood. Nigeria became real and we were exposed to Nigerians telling their stories and not us being told stories about Nigerians. All of a sudden there were VCDs and DVDs being sold of Nollywood blockbusters. I have an uncle who has a mammoth collection of Nigerian movies and a few other relatives who swear on the integrity of Nigerian pastors.

And as people were exposed to Nigerians, either on the big screen on in person, other elements of Nigeria made their way into the lives of Kenya - notably in fashion and music. Huge and colourful head-wraps, accessorised elegant and colourful boubous (traditional gowns) and for a number of women, that was the outfit of choice at social gatherings. We also started dancing to Nigerian tunes from 2Face, D'banj, Femi Kuti, Bracket and P-Square.

So Kenyans now dance to a very different Nigerian tune. Thanks to Nigeria, West Africa is now at home in East Africa.

LIBERIA      https://www.christianziebarth.com/africanclub/liberia.jpg
Economic links between Liberia and the giant of West Africa have always been strong - the most visible sign of which is the 85km (50 mile) Ibrahim Babangida Highway (named after a former Nigerian head of state) to Sierra Leone's border.

But it is Nigeria's peacekeeping efforts that Liberians are most grateful for. When the civil war broke out, Nigeria led a West African intervention force, Ecomog, which prevented the rebels of Charles Taylor from overrunning the capital, Monrovia, in August 1990.
Continue reading the main story
Nigeria at 50

Ever since, Nigeria has been in the vanguard of peacekeeping efforts in Liberia, and in recent times, has also sent doctors and teachers to help with the country's acute shortages.

Nigerian-owned churches are, arguably, the largest in Liberia, which is fiercely religious, as the country was founded on the principles of Christianity by freed slaves repatriated from the US in the 19th Century.

It is true to say that Nigerians feel at home here. Many Nigerians, including those in the UN peacekeeping force and private traders, are married to Liberian women and have fathered hundreds of children in recent years.

Nigerian movies are also extremely popular and the young Liberian film industry, modelling itself on Nollywood, is called Lolliwood.

But sadly, Nigerians have also been linked to armed robbery and drug pushing in the post-war period.

ZAMBIA   [img]http://thumb10.shutterstock.com/photos/thumb_large/3637/3637,1109750152,3.jpg[/img]
Peter Ngoma is a Zambian street hawker who earns an average of $20 (£12) a day selling DVDs. He moves from one street to the other selling his wares. Nigerian films account for a third of his earnings - a feat that the Zambian film industry is yet to reach.

Productions from Nollywood have had a phenomenal impact on Zambians. Most of Zambia's television stations, especially recently established ones, have Nigerian films as part of their regular programming.

The Nigerian influence has been so infectious that in some circles friends pick up the distinctive West African accent whenever they joke or chat amongst themselves about happenings in their lives.

It is Nigerians' power of persuasion, irrespective of what they, do that makes their products sell - and it is what makes them a hit even in religious circles.

Zambia is host to churches with origins from Nigeria and a number of them have large followings.

Such is the popularity of their brand, that many ailing Zambians have flown to Nigeria to seek further healing.

SOUTH AFRICA   https://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/283235451/South_African_car_flag.jpg
District 9, the recent Hollywood blockbuster about aliens in South Africa, depicted Nigerians as seedy criminals - it might have only been a movie but in many parts of the country this stereotype has been accepted as fact. Logic says this is a generalisation, still for some reason ordinary South Africans blame no-one else for the country's drug and crime problem - you're almost guaranteed the same answer: "Nigerians - men particularly."

Despite these prejudices millions of Nigerians have made this their home and started families here, which has proved another bone of contention. Phrases like: "They are stealing our jobs and our women" are flung around at dinner tables whenever talk about our brothers and sisters from the north arise.

Still many South Africans do enjoy Nigerian films - there are two channels on DSTV satellite just dedicated to Nollywood, while churches led by Nigerians have mushroomed in many cities, mostly around Johannesburg.

And you have to admire Nigerians, who tend to stand out in a crowd with their big flashy cars, bold dress and lively speech, for their ability to keep their heads up in the midst of great and often undue condemnation. "[/b]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11429067

Thread: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-777550.0.html

omar22:
In 1992, the debut of Kenneth Nnebue’s movie Living in Bondage brought a new twist to the then growing motion picture industry in Nigeria.

Shot straight-to-video, it was the first Nollywood blockbuster movie which kicked off the Nigerian cinema industry. By the following year, more film makers tapped into this eye-opening trend and Nollywood was born.

Today Nollywood’s growth has been stunted by piracy and lack of professionalism by many practitioners. It has become an free-for-all affair and avenue for people to attain cheap fame and make quick money. From Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya to Egypt, most of what is known about Nigeria as a country has been through Nollywood.

Yet little or no attention has been paid to the money-spinning industry that would have been a good source of revenue for the country. Efforts by current investors in the industry have been bedevilled by piracy.

Taiwo Ajai-Lycette, a veteran Nigerian stage actress who featured in many productions in Nigeria including a TV series in the 1970s, Winds Against My Soul, expresses her angst with the quality of production and the quantity of works spurned by directors whom she says are not in tune with the times.

“We don’t have to be at the state we are now when it comes to film-making in this 21st Century,” she said. “There are new technologies which some filmmakers are not conversant with. I am knocking the quality. Veteran artistes are those who have travelled on stage. The basic knowledge that you acquire as an actor is on stage which many actors today don’t have.”

These days, people want to be part of Nollywood to gain popularity. This kind of bankrupt thinking has led Nollywood to the stagnant position it is currently.

“You can’t make money without making incredible art,” adds Ajai-Lycette. “You have to be an artiste to make it in the industry. Money is a by-product of creativity. It should come as a direct product of what we do. If we only think of the money, we are going to be poor as artistes. Thinking is a very hard business.”

Most Nigerian films are characterised by badly written scripts which lack depth. Film critics have traced this to the lack of reading culture among scriptwriters, directors and actors. And to be an artist, in Ajai-Lycette’s words, “is to be absolutely widely read.”

Weak scripts

She argues that if an artiste is not educated there is no way he can interpret the works of Wole Soyinka, for example, because as a writer, he translates the philosophy of his people.

Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw-Nuttal agrees with the poor quality of work in Nollywood and the fact that Ajai-Lycette rejected the script sent to her.

“It’s almost three years now,” she explained, “I have not starred in any Nollywood movie. I believe I have reached a point where I have come to be known for good quality work. If the prop guys pay attention to detail and the directors do their work well, Nollywood will be a better industry.”

While some practitioners decry poor quality of production, others like Dejumo Lewis take issue with the name of the industry itself, Nollywood, which is a derivative of America’s Hollywood. “Nollywood is not original. The name Naija Movies would be best.”

In addition, he has problem with the way Nigerian culture is portrayed. “Art is about stating the reality and the ideal,” he said. “It must mirror and give what should be. We should ask ourselves what kind of culture we communicate through our works.”

As a developmental step for the entertainment industry, President Goodluck Jonathan in November last year announced the Federal Government’s investment of $200 million (30 billion naira) into the development of the entertainment industry.

And in January this year, the president through Olusegun Aganga, the minister of finance, announced that the Special Entertainment Fund will be disbursed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) as single-digit interest rate loans.

It is the first time in the country that the Federal Government will make such funds available for the entertainment industry of which Nollywood is a big part.

Returns

At a stakeholders’ meeting held recently in Lagos and convened on behalf of the presidency by Oronto Douglas, special adviser to the president on policy, Mahmoud Alli Balogun, film producer and director, observed that a proper framework must be put in place for the survival of the industry for investors to get returns on their money.

“Nollywood is an industry that survives on the ordinary marketing strategy used by traders in selling their wares,” he says. “Anybody can be a filmmaker in today’s Nollywood. The survival of this industry can be possible if proper structures are put in place. Our services are currently informal. We want to make them formal. It was in 2009 that Motion Picture producers of Nigeria tried to set up a model for selling our works. This can be adopted.”

And Desmond Elliot, an actor who has featured in some films produced in Ghana, decries how piracy has destroyed Nollywood such that Ghana, a new entrant, has a stronger industry.

“We don’t sell more than 1,000 copies of our films,” he says. “Our works are pirated on a daily basis and video clubs give out our works. They make the money more than us. We invest so much and we get little. We still sell our movies in VCDs and not DVDs. It is a shame.”

Speaking from her experience as a producer, Stephanie Okere observes that investing in today’s Nollywood is like putting money into an ocean without getting returns.

“The hawking of movies on the streets should be banned,” she says. “To access the fund made available by the Federal Government through BoI, what we need are guarantors and not going through the Lagos Business School as the list of conditions suggest.”

Segun Arinze pleads with his colleagues to make the fund available to everyone. “Industry practitioners must be careful and must know that the money must go round. We are asking them to go for true industry practitioners and not friends.”

Endowment fund

Nigeria is definitely coming late to the dinner table to take a place among countries of the world which have Arts Endowment Funds and it seems the presidency’s current focus with the $200 million fund is just on Nollywood. There are other aspects of the industry like performing arts which includes dance, theatre arts, music and the visual arts.

What the presidency must work towards, says Jahman Anikulapo, Sunday editor of The Guardian newspaper, is creating a fund which encompasses all aspects of the arts.

“Since 1988 when I started reporting arts, I have been writing and pushing for Nigeria to have a cultural policy. The policy is yet to be passed. It is important for government to pass this policy and then create an endowment fund for the arts.”

Be that as it may, it is crucial that Nollywood practitioners put their house in order. It is an industry that is currently riddled by factions created by longstanding feuds, malice, petty jealousies, supremacy fights, and discrimination along the lines of who belongs to what genre and who does not.

Perhaps it is for this reason some prominent faces in Nollywood were not present at the stakeholders meeting. It is only when Nollywood begins to take itself seriously that other meaningful investors can come in and a better return on investment is assured.

Bury hatchet

Kanayo O. Kanayo, an actor, knows this too well: “We must bury the hatchet and forget whatever we have against one another. We have to become friends. Whoever wants to have access to the money must go through the various associations set up for practitioners in the industry.”

Regardless of its current challenges, Nollywood has taught the rest of Africa how film can be a powerful socio-cultural and economic export to the rest of the world such that Ghana is fast developing its movie industry and is collaborating with filmmakers in Nigeria.

There is a new crop of filmmakers who are combining intelligent storylines with great film techniques. Among these new crop of filmmakers is Kunle Afolayan, the producer of The Figure, which won in five categories in last year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Their works show the emergence of a new Nollywood.

Toni Kan, film critic, describes the new Nollywood as an industry that’s looking past the straight-to-video model.

“What the New Nollywood will do is direct world attention to us in a way that begins to bring in much needed interventions to the industry technically and financially. The New Nollywood will engender a paradigm shift. It will see the transition of Nigerian movies from what I call the ‘DSTV ghetto channels’.

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omar22:
I dont know what you are on about, but tell me how does Jennifa, Omo Ghetto and Blackberry Girls relate to the African  Culture?

OMO ghetto & Jennifa are real in Nigeria; there  is a ghetto in Lagos, and their are females that have stories like jennifa; Blackberry babes is a english nollywood movie that is a comedy 9ja movie, so please.

[quote author=baby-boy link=topic=799645.msg9531012#msg9531012 date=1321019368]So because (Nollywood) releases a Movie everyday regardless of the quality that means it has beaten Hollywood ?

You know what? lets agree to disagree!!![/quote]No because they show movies that are relevant about the culture of sub-saharan africans, that quality becomes secondary. Plus quality is improving in Nollywood but those articles have already told you why Nollywood has beaten hollywood in sub-saharan africa, and I see nothing wrong with it. I'd rather see my own be number one in films in their own continent then foreigners be number one in Africa, while showing war, disease, starvation, aid, corruption movies about Africa. You just don't get it, Nollywood vs. hollywood is a david & Galiath story to me

any way as you said lets just agree to disagree

[quote author=baby-boy link=topic=799645.msg9530750#msg9530750 date=1321017552]#1 Silverbird shows almost 90% of Hollywood movies in all of its outlet in Nigeria and you still feel Nollywood and Hollywood are on a level playing field?

So because a Nollywood (HOME VIDEO) has part 1, 2, 3, 4 gives you an indication that its bigger that Bollywood! Nollywood cannot afford to pay a Bollywood artist. Genevieve got $25000 for her part in "IJE" compared to $12m Demi Moore got for her role in a movie 15 years ago,  $25k does not cover the fee for sound editing.

We have a very long list of top Nollywood stars on around $6k - $8k per movie, a Nollywood actress died 3 or 4 years due to fatigue and one of her colleague said they earn around N20k a movie thats why they perform week in week out no rest!

Yes you could be patriotic about Nollywood, but dont ever say because it produces over 600 movies a year its better than an industry that produces over 100 movies, no one cares about quantity its about the quality of movie you produce.


I believe you have seen "Slum Dog Millionaire" actually the English have one of the best directors you could find.



Look Hollywood has a yearly ticket sale of around 2.9billion compared to Bollywood that has 3.6billion in ticket sale,

Care to get the figures for Nollywood both Home Video, DVD or Ticket sales


We have Bollywood movies making over $20m in revenue, Even Tsoti a South African blockbuster made almost $10m in revenue, please name a Nollywood movie thats has made even close?


And before I go Theirs a Yoruba version of Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman by Saheed Balogun the execution was rubbish!!![/quote]Umm those article's & video, I posted speak for themselves, whether you think Nollywood is trash or not is your problem. It doesn't change the fact that it has beaten Hollywood in Sub-saharan africa & the argument about the levels of each industry is irrelevant but in the end of the day Nollywood has surpassed Hollywood in sub-saharan africa, despite all the trillion and billion you are showing off about when it comes to hollywood. My argument was never about the money or which level each industry because in the end of the day with all that muscle power Hollywood has it was beaten by Nollywood in sub-saharan africa.

"The cinema of Nigeria grew quickly in the 1990s and 2000s to become the second largest film industry in the world in terms of number of annual film productions, placing it ahead of the United States and behind the Indian film industry.[1] According to Hala Gorani and Jeff Koinange formerly of CNN, Nigeria has a US$250 million movie industry, churning out some 200 videos for the home video market every month.[2][3]

Nigerian cinema is Africa's largest movie industry in terms of both value and the number of movies produced per year. Although Nigerian films have been produced since the 1960s, the rise of affordable digital filming and editing technologies has stimulated the country's video film industry"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Nigeria

"The cinemas are gradually losing their supporters to the movie industry. Yoruba language films happen to be the most watched in the cinemas, followed by Indian films. Films are not premiered for a long period of time in the western sense, especially with Yoruba language films. Films in English are controlled mainly by the Igbos are the most popular and move directly from the studios to the market"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos#Music_and_film_industry

London Lawa
Legal Wife
Apaadi
Odun mejo
yemoja

there are many others that I like but these are the ones I can remember right now