₦airaland Forum

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’.

This doesn't bother me but this is known but the reason they ignore them today because some people in hollywood don't consider african americans bankable unless they are Will smith or Denzel Waashington

well its the harsh truth, Denzil is one of the best, Will Smith writes his own movies big difference to the crash bang wallop actors,

The Angela Basset & larry Fishbourne nominations are irrelevant, winning is what people remember. Cuba, Louis, & whoopi won supporting roles, and denzels win was a supporting role in  88, I already know this but as I said before the oscars are irrelevant when it comes to Hollywood in general. So sorry I will keep saying they don't really give african americans a chance; the oscars is not the head of Hollywood. The Oscars are not the head of Paramount, Warner brothers and etc. The Oscars has done all they can do but they don't control hollywood, so your list of a few doesn't change the Hollywood establishment. They cater to the majority of Americans which is white Americans, and they would rather put more of whites then Blacks. this is not a given, everybody knows this in America, especially the minorities. They do it to other races like asians, huspanics and etc, and it is worse.

Its an honour to be nominated. Tell me where you think a blackman should have won? I didnt say Oscar control Hollywood, the harsh truth is the creame would always rise to the top, this is the movie industry, its not a public sector,  they are there to make money, which story sells most. I am not going to be brain-washed into "the oh because they were black syndrome" again, if black actors want to reach the top then they should step up, look at Denzil or Will Smith or Forest Whittaker these are people who step out of there comfort zone, Look at Vivica Fox? very soon she would join Nollywood!

It has actually been bought over by Honda i think. I dont see it to be a problem car

Honda owned 20% stake in Rover, and when Honda thought they could increase the share of Stake in Rover, the British sold Rover to BMW, Honda felt betrayed and pulled out after some years thats why the Rover 25, 45 and 75 some come from various car companies,

The Rover 75 uses BMW's platform and engines the 25 and 45 comes from ford, Mazda and Rover MG

Actually they do, the Oscars are irrelevant; it is documented in most media's in the media, after Sidney Poiteir another Black wasn't nominated or won until 2002 with halle Berry and Denzel Washington. So I will keep saying that Hollywood ignores even the legendat actor Harry Belonfonte and many others have said this, and this history is known

Morgan Freeman was nominated 5 times from the 80s to this Millennium before he won over 5 years ago

Denzil Won it 88 in Glory he was also nominated the year Sean Connery and Kevin Spacey won it

Whoopi won it in her role in Ghost in 90

Angela Bassett was nominated for her role in Whats Love got to do with it

Larry Fishbourne was nominated twice

Cuba Gooding Jnr won it in 96 in Jerry Maguire

Louis Gossett, Jr. won it in 1982

I cant remember all of them but dont say they didnt give AA the chance, the cream would always raise to the top

In America it is a big issue, because many african americans have been ignored by Hollwyood for decades;

excuse me, Sidney Poitier won an Oscar in the 60's Dorothy Dandridge was a nominee in the 50s dont ever say Hollywood has been ignoring African American actors if they are good they would pick them

Tyler Perry it is his african american community,

The same Community that first said Barack Obama has no chance in winning the democrat ticket let alone becoming the US President,

@siena. . is it possible to calculate the maximum possible speed of a car wn u know d engine specs. I use a camry 2.2L with a 5s-FE engine. Wt u tnk?

These cars are tested on a straight line speed, probably with less than a quarter tank of fuel, with only the driver, probably no back seats as well, If for example a Volkwagen Golf VR6 has a top speed of 140mph (i think) thats on a dead straight road! no curves or hills involved, not a Golf filled with people or filled with petrol or diesel,

And definitely not almost bold tyres

I like Tyler Perry, but its looney if he thinks pandering to the black community would get him to the top, most of his films are low budget films and most of the actors and actresses he has used were low earners as well, knowing that the only Whoopi Goldberg and Thandie Newton where the highest profile artist he has used in his movies speaks volume, but common he has to grow, I used to like the low budget black films (like the bestman, The Wood, Love and Basket Ball etc but I quickly got bored of them, yes I do like watching Taye Digg, Nia Long, Sanaa, Terence Howard. But I want more from a movie not just the problems in the black community, but a real movie with a fantastic storyline, and who cares about the colour of the person playing the leading role! If someone ask me if I have the choice between 2 movies one Halle Berry is playing the leading role and is been played by Gabrielle Union. I would pick Halle Berry because I know that she would only act in movies that has almost a perfect storyline, not some gang related, in the hood type of attitude movie.

you are the one talking out of sense because nigerians in diaspora have more time and money to stage an affair than you think! they can commute 24 hrs of the day without fear unlike back home when people can't do a lot at nights because of security.

OK let me paint you a picture! you are married then you are thinking of having an affair! the time to spend with both women is so limited, that your wife would know that something is not right within days, then you would be monitoring the phone that comes in, text and emails that come in that alone to could make you go kolo, your behaviour would be suspicious! by the time you take care of so many bills and have an affair after a while you would pull out without been told,

they date non-nigerian girls because it's an easier route to sex!

This is why we have a lot of Nigerian men in foreign prison for Rape!!! They think they are easy!!!

guy naija babes too get wahala

BINGO!!!!!!!!!

i will actually say cheating is more common in the diaspora!

What a load of rubbish!!!!

Yes their is cheating but its nowhere near what happens in Nigeria! one thing is that it cost time and money to have an affair, and most relationships in Africa starts off with "has he got money or not" which is a soggy foundation! over here a woman doesnt  have to jump through hoops because of a man! in Nigeria a man who has more money could entice another away from her partner, this mean that same man could sleep with Genevieve, Omotola and Nadia,

I hope u know what  these means financially.
Janet first debut was in 1982 with other members of d jackson family, four yrs later she went independent with d album "control".  Omar, back your sayings up with fact.

Janets first album "control" came out in 1986, but out of desperation she took an upfront payment not even up to a quarter of a Million $$$, which means she get nothing from the album sales! Control went multi-platium world-wide but the record company made all the money and am talking Millions in the 80's but she only had a deal to make one album,   but not until 1991 when she signed a new control and she pulled all the strings that made her alot of millions!

Tell me any hit of the Jackson family made after Michael has left?

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-798869.0.html

Your list indicates that Janet Jackson has a career as long as 37 years and baby boy is telling you that her career started late in the 80s very late! That discredit your list and Britney that nearly filed for bankruptcy all of a sudden she has half a billion! "A little information is very dangerous" your list also shows that Rihanna made a staggering $280m in 5 years that's around 56m a year! Even the Rolling Stone don't make that much a year and they are top earners in the entertainment world! The whole world knows that Sir Paul Marcarthy is the wealthiest singer ever all this Madonna stuff is fantasy, and Barbara? Where did that one come from, someone who hasn't had a hit either in movie or singing since the early 70s. Please bin that idea!! Its funny when yon know quite alright that P Diddy saved JLO's career and all of a sudden she is worth more than will smith oh please when did she act in the movie Selena! In the mid 90s so where did the 23yrs career come from I beg please. Mariah Carey hasn't had a hit since EMI told her to get lost nearly 10 years ago.

The Buck Stops at the Top

They hired him, its their poor judge, like I said he had a contract they are place he could take NFF and they would order them to pay him

If siasia is a honourable man as he wants us 2 blv,he should respect his contract and resign,

Where does it say in its contract that he should resign before the end of his contract?

If keshi is that good how come he hasnt got a job since he got fired by Mali last year

Genny has been spotted partying first class in UK

WTF does that mean?

Anti-bomb squad in Nigeria?

Do you honestly believe any Nigerian would go within 1 mile of a bomb even if its a fake bomb!

ha!!!!!!!!!!

I don't need to repeat that your intellect is below my feet, you know.

It's just too bad stupidity isn't painful.

In the famous words of Baby Boy,

More Hot Air, 

Don't get lost in thought; you'll be a total stranger there.

Hot air balloon!!!!!

You would need a lot of hot air just to lift the balloon of the ground!!!

As an outsider what do you think of the human race?

ha ha ha ha ha ha

Baby Boy that's so harsh

and what has marriage got to do with degree?

Another shallow thinking caused by 1000s of year slave trade and lack of enlightenment

Theirs nothing wrong the Cartoons people go over board with this culture issue, we forget that some aspect of our culture is barbaric! you are more likely to learn to count from 1 to 10 quicker watching Sesame Street than an infant school that's willing beat the numbers into you with a cane. Cartoon are funny, I could remember in the 80's watching children programs (naija made) they are not funny, I guess i could see why they were taken off air! if you cant make a kid laugh then whats the point of the program.