Story by: Yinka Adegoke | Photography Courtesy of: Iké Udé
Lagos
There’s a buzz in Nollywood right now.
Last month the romantic comedy The Wedding Party became the first movie from Nigeria’s growing film industry to break 400 million naira ($1.3 million). And in 2016 Nollywood’s combined box office topped 3.5 billion naira ( $11.5 million) with 30% of ticket sales generated by local movies. To a Hollywood watcher those numbers will seem tiny, but for a burgeoning movie business growing out of years of rampant disc piracy and a battered economy, this was a breakthrough.
Nigeria’s movie industry has become the country’s second largest employer and shows huge potential as an export product to the rest of the world. This is especially important for a Nigerian government which is keenly aware of the need to diversify from its over-reliance on oil for 90% of its export revenue.
(Above) Nollywood star Linda Ejiofor. Photo courtesy of Iké Udé.
“[Nigeria] remains one of the most captivating places in the world to tell stories.”
Not only was The Wedding Party a commercial success, but it was critically acclaimed when it made its debut at the influential Toronto International Film Festival last year. Still, despite Nollywood’s significant rise in production values and its already huge popularity globally, Nigeria’s movie business is still often perceived as an industry of disposable, poorly shot, and badly edited movies. Outside of the odd award show, its star actors, directors, and producers are rarely seen as creators of great art.
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