Nigeria is Not Among the Top 10 Biggest Film Countries in the World

It is really misleading for many filmmakers, marketers (and that includes the pirates too) and other stakeholders in Nigeria's Nollywood to keep on ranting that Nollywood is the second largest movie industry in the World. Since when if I may ask? Of course, they will rush to quote the over hyped report on Nigeria surpasses Hollywood as world's second largest film producer – UN of May 5, 2009; based on the unconfirmed figure of 872 Nollywood movies produced in 2006. And the Nollywood noisemakers keep on ranting about this claim even today after four years!
When many of them have turned their attention to opening and running restaurants and bars and fighting over associations instead of making movies. How many of their movies are showing at the few cinemas in Nigeria where we have only 0.4 cinema screens to 100,000 people in the most populous country in Africa with over 160 million people? How many of their run-of-the-mill home videos have they produced so far this year? The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) should give us the facts and figures and not unverified claims and rumours.

According to Forbes, the United States is still the world’s largest film market with box office revenues of over $10.8 billion in 2012, a 6.5 percent increase over 2011. And that is current and based on facts and figures from the IRS. And China is now the bona fide number two after the U.S., generated box revenues of approximately $2.7 billion in 2012, a 30.2 percent increase over 2011. According to Forbes, "even with 13,000 theaters, one for every 220,000 people, China’s film industry remains relatively unsaturated. In the United States, there is one screen for every 9,000 people. At this rate, China could top the U.S. film market by 2020". And the most expensive Chinese film The Flowers of War" cost a whooping $94 million! But in Nigeria, I doubt if we even have one screen for every 1, 000, 000 people! Just divide the population of Nigeria by the number of screens at the few cinemas in the country. Simple maths would do.

 If Nollywood is making millions of dollars as the Nollywood noisemakers claim, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) should have the facts and figures as the IRS of the United States can tell you what the American motion picture industry contributes to the U.S economy every year. Nigeria does not even have a film market! You can also see the Global Movie Production & Distribution: Market Research Report.

I have already analyzed and published the facts and figures in my Nollywood Mirror Series published and distributed by Amazon, but since majority of Nigerians prefer gossiping to reading, they are still either ignorant of the truth or simply want to continue with their "illusion of grandeur" in typical Nigerian fallacy and hypocrisy of conceit and deceit. Well, the following are the facts and figures again with a map of the top ten feature films productions countries in the world.

1. North American $10.8bn.

The USA is still far ahead of any other Country for now and in no danger of being over taken but they will surely be looking over their shoulder as China continues its march forwards world domination.

2. China $2.7bn

As with everything about China these days, they have become the world’s second-biggest movie market, taking over from Japan.

3. Japan $2.4bn

Dumped off second spot, Japan must be resigned to the evitable position of playing second fiddle to China from now on in the film industry.

4. France & UK $1.7bn

 Coming in joint fourth France and the UK’s appetite for films shows no signs of declining, as both still maintain very strong cinema going cultures.

5. India $1.4bn

The Indian film industry has been a powerhouse for many years now, making the largest number of films in the world, buying the highest number of tickets and having the second largest screen count. However, they only come in at number 5 in box-office revenues mainly because on average their home market has the amongst the lowest ticket prices in the world.

6. Germany $1.35bn

Despite being in the Euro Zone, 2012 saw Germany generate their highest ever Box office revenues increasing by 7.8%, with 135.1 million Cinema tickets sold representing an increase of 4.2%

7. Russia $1.2bn

With only a fraction of the United State’s screens, Russia is the seventh-largest film market by Box office take and is making steady progress.

8. Italy $1.01bn

Italy is another Country whose film sector is being weighed down in recent times by the impact of the Euro Zone economic crisis.

9. Spain $900m

Plagued by the economic woes of a shrinking market, rampant piracy, subsidy cuts, Spain’s film industry is down on the list.

10. Brazil $800m

Brazil is considered to have the most accessible film industry amongst the so-called high-growth emerging BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).
 Source: TALKING DRUM ENTERTAINMENT.

 ~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.


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