The Lamentation of Vershima

 

The Lamentation of Vershima

If you don't flee from the devil

He will do worse evil!

The nomadic beasts of no nation

They trampled on my plantation

They came from across the borders

The mooing herds and their wandering headers

They invaded my farmlands with their animals

Animals with one thousand horns

and two thousand hooves.

They came before the first raindrops

They trampled on my virgin crops.

They broke the maiden head of Dooshima, my beloved daughter

When she went early to the stream to fetch water.

She crawled back home bleeding  in pains and tears.

Her agonies left me with chilling fears.

Her wailing mother Mimidoo,.was rolling on the floor.

I was shaking as I bolted the door.

The arrows have pierced my heart.

The horrors have torn me apart.

I have harrowing agonies that cannot be written.

I have eerie nightmares that you have not seen.

The unseen tears I have shed

As I was writhing in my broken bed.

Aondo! Aondo!! Aondo!!!

Aôndo u Ijirôron!

U ngu hana hegon?

Va tese er u lu Aôndo u ageegh yô!

Are you no longer our defender?

I have abandoned the Kwagh-Hir!

I have torn my A'nger in anger.

There is no one to sound the indyer!

Otapia, the town crier can no longer cry

His booming voice no longer echoes in the sky.

There is no one left to receive his message

Since we have fled from our village.

- - By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

On Saturday,. January 16, 2026.

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

For my new book of my original poems, "Dance of Locusts".

PS:

The first sentence shows that the herders trespassing on the lands of the Middle Belt of Nigeria actually don't believe in borders of any nation. Majority of them don't have any passport of any national identity.

All the names are in Tiv language.

Aôndo u Ijirôron!

U ngu hana hegon?

Va tese er u lu Aôndo u ageegh yô!

Means

God of Justice!

Where are you now?

Come and show that you are the mighty God!

Background History and Recent Reports

Key Aspects of the Crisis

Victims and Perpetrators:

The violence disproportionately affects indigenous, predominantly Christian, farming communities, with perpetrators often identified by survivors and some reports as Fulani ethnic militias.

Scale and Impact:

The conflict has led to thousands of deaths (some estimates suggest over 60,000 across the region over decades) and the displacement of millions, creating a significant humanitarian crisis and worsening food insecurity. In Benue State alone, over 6,800 people were reportedly murdered between 2023 and May 2025.

Narratives and Terminology:

There is a significant dispute over how to describe the conflict.

"Ethnic Cleansing" / "Genocide": Local leaders, victims, and advocacy groups argue the term "ethnic cleansing" or "genocide" is more appropriate than "farmer-herder clashes". They point to patterns of systematic attacks, the burning of churches, and the permanent displacement of communities, followed by new settlement in those areas. The Middle Belt Forum has demanded a UN inquiry into the alleged genocide.

Farmer-Herder Clashes: Successive Nigerian governments and some international agencies have tended to frame the violence as a result of resource competition (land and water) exacerbated by climate change and population growth.

This narrative is criticized by many victims as a form of denial that obscures the ethnic and religious motivations of the attacks and absolves perpetrators of accountability.

Historical Context:

Tensions are rooted in long-standing historical grievances, including the 19th-century Islamic jihad led by Usman dan Fodio and resistance to the subsequent Sokoto Caliphate's influence. These historical narratives shape contemporary perceptions, with some viewing the violence as a continuation of historical aggression.

Government Response:

The Nigerian government has faced severe criticism for its perceived failure to protect victims, ensure accountability, and address the underlying causes of the violence.

There is a widely held belief among affected communities that security forces are either indifferent or complicit.

International Attention: While international bodies have been warned of worsening atrocities in the region, the focus has often remained on other issues like Boko Haram.

The lack of international recognition of the crisis as "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing" is a major point of contention for advocacy groups.

The situation remains a complex and devastating crisis, with ongoing violence and an urgent need for nuanced attention and effective intervention to address the intertwined ethnic, religious, and socio-economic dimensions.

Middle Belt - Wikipedia

Ethnoreligious conflicts. ... Surrounded by divergent religious, economic, and cultural histories, the Middle Belt has been the melting pot where small and larg...

The violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt has long historical roots.

11 Aug 2025 —

There is systematic violence taking place in Nigeria's Middle Belt, writes Onyedikachi Madueke. The government calls it local skirmishes, but the reality goes d...

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Conflict and Killings in Nigeria's Middle Belt

17 Dec 2020 — The underlying causes of the conflict in Nigeria's Middle Belt are complex and varied. They include competition for access to land and other resources between p...

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission | (.gov)

Middle Belt Civic Leaders Decry Ethnic Cleansing and Unchecked ...

16 May 2025 — Civic Coalition Warns of National Implications. The Civic Coalition's May 14th statement echoes this distress. Describing the violence as a “region-wide campaig...

Truth Nigeria

Climate Cover, Ethnic Crime: The Story Behind Nigeria's Middle Belt ...

10 Nov 2025 — A TruthNigeria Analysis: Nigerian Government Denial Gets Propped up by False Narratives. ... (Abuja) For more than a decade, Christian communities across Nigeri...

Truth Nigeria

Long Read: Violence in Nigeria's 'Middle Belt' States

19 Mar 2021 — So what can we do about these Challenges? * Religious persecution: While the underlying causes of violence are complex, attacks in the Middle Belt by Islamist F...

Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)

The Politics of Eco-Violence: Why Is Conflict Escalating in ...

19 Oct 2022 — 20 According to a 2021 study, 309,231 individuals were displaced in the Middle Belt, with 204,193 displaced due to communal violence in Benue State alone, makin...

Taylor & Francis Online

Ethnic cleansing in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria

Conclusion: Ethnic cleansing. ... There have been continuous attacks against Christians in the Middle Belt to force them to leave their ancestral land. As a res...

Open Doors Analytical

Silent Emergency: The Unending Cycle of Ethnic ...

1 Feb 2025 — HumAngle explores the ethnic, religious, and environmental roots of the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria's Middle Belt, its devastating toll on communities, an...

HumAngle

UN warned of worsening atrocities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt

1 Dec 2025 — UN warned of worsening Atrocities in Nigeria's Middle Belt

International Bar Association | IBA

In Nigeria's diverse Middle Belt, a drying landscape deepens violent ...

8 Mar 2018 — Violent clashes between semi-nomadic cattle herders like the Fulani and farming communities have increased in recent years – particularly in Nigeria's Middle Be...

The Christian Science Monitor

Fulani Herdsmen On A Deadly Mission - Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust

4 Oct 2017 — Similarly, the international community remains silent in relation to the violence in the Middle Belt region, while only focusing on Boko Haram in Northern Niger...

Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)

M’Belt Forum Demands UN Inquiry Over Alleged Genocide

Plateau killing: m'belt Forum demands un inquiry over alleged genocide

The Whistler Newspaper

Ombatse: Disenfranchisement and Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt

21 Aug 2013 — Our forefathers had their own way of worship... Now, what led to us to bring back this traditional worship is the complaints we receive from our people about th...

Photo Credit: Humangleedia
https://humanglemedia.com/more-pictures-from-nigerias-middle-belt-crisis-have-surfaced-some-are-misleading/

The NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series: The First Book Series on Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry

 

The NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series refers to books and potential media by Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi, chronicling Nigerian cinema (Nollywood).

The Book Series:

Author: Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, a Nigerian writer and film festival director.

Content: A publication capturing the big picture of current Nollywood affairs, aiming to share Nollywood's story globally.

Formats: Available in print (paperback, hardcover) and digital formats. 

In essence, "The NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series" bridges literary analysis and popular Nollywood storytelling under one brand, reflecting the dynamism of the African film industry.

The Cultural and Political Impact of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima 

The NOLLYWOOD MIRROR ® Series by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima contributes to Nollywood's overall cultural impact by documenting the industry's significant role in shaping African narratives and, to a lesser extent, touches upon potential political influence through its discussions of the industry's economic potential and societal reflections. 

Cultural Impact

Promoting Pan-African Culture: The series contributes to the broader Nollywood phenomenon, which has a massive reach across Africa, influencing norms and values, and promoting Nigerian, and by extension, African culture globally. Nollywood films offer a homegrown perspective on African realities, challenging Western media stereotypes and fostering a sense of shared identity.

Cultural Documentation: The series itself serves as a documentation of "current affairs and highlights in the Nigerian film industry". It provides a comprehensive look for a global audience, helping to preserve and disseminate information about the industry's growth, challenges, and evolution.

Encouraging Honest Conversations:

 By showcasing the complexities of Nigerian life, including issues like corruption, the series (like Nollywood films generally) opens avenues for honest discussions about societal challenges while also highlighting rich history and accomplishments. 

Political Impact

Economic Advocacy: Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima has used his platform within the series and other publications to highlight Nollywood's significant economic potential. For instance, he stated the industry could turn Nigerian tourism into a "billion dollar industry". This advocacy can influence policymakers to provide better infrastructure, regulatory support, and investment for the creative sector.

Soft Power: 

The massive popularity of Nollywood films across the continent, which the series documents, demonstrates Nigeria's significant "soft power." 

This cultural dominance can indirectly affect political relations and perceptions of Nigeria in other African nations.

Mirroring Societal Issues: Nollywood films, by serving as a "mirror that reflects the complexities of Nigerian life", often address political corruption and ethnic tensions. 

By documenting these trends, the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR ® Series implicitly highlights the role of film in political discourse, even if not directly political itself.

Available on

https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/nollywood-mirror-r/author/michael-chima-ekenyerengozi

ONE NATION, ONE LAW: NIGERIA MUST END SHARIA IN THE CONSTITUTION AND EMBRACE A MODERN SECURITY DOCTRINE

ONE NATION, ONE LAW: NIGERIA MUST END SHARIA IN THE CONSTITUTION AND EMBRACE A MODERN SECURITY DOCTRINE

By BENSON SNUDAY, Human Rights Activist & Nigerian Nationalist

---

Nigeria Needs Truth, Not Hypocrisy

Nigeria’s greatest threat is not only terrorism itself — but the contradictions, mixed messages, and religious politics that weaken our ability to confront it.
For years, Nigerians have watched influential voices speak in ways that blur moral clarity and confuse the national conversation on security.

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi Cannot Rewrite History with a Facebook Post
This week, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi released a Facebook message condemning “insecurity sponsors.”
Yet Nigerians cannot forget the long record of public comments in which he:

• Described armed bandits as “misunderstood”

• Criticized military operations more than the crimes of violent groups

• Advocated for amnesty at times when the nation was burying victims

• Shifted blame to vague “foreign powers” rather than confronting local realities

These positions were widely reported across mainstream Nigerian media.
So today, when he speaks as though he is leading the moral charge, Nigerians are right to demand consistency.

“A single Facebook prayer cannot erase years of damaging rhetoric.”

Accountability Applies to All — Including the Sultan of Sokoto
With great authority comes great responsibility.
Public expectations of clarity and moral leadership from the Sultan of Sokoto are legitimate.
When insecurity rages, religious and traditional leaders cannot remain ambiguous.

The nation is watching every voice that shapes the moral landscape.

⚖ End Dual Legal Systems — One Nigeria, One Law
Nigeria cannot thrive under a constitutional structure that preserves parallel legal systems.
Sharia courts in the constitution — no matter their intention — undermine national unity and equality under the law.

Religion belongs in the soul.
Law belongs to the nation.

We demand:

• END SHARIA IN THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION

• ONE NATION, ONE LAW

• A SECULAR LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR ALL NIGERIANS

“A united country cannot have divided laws.”

The Israel Security Debate — A Missed Opportunity
Before the intervention of former U.S. President Donald Trump in Nigeria’s security dialogue,
the Nigerian government — through Deputy Foreign Minister Bianca Ojukwu — made a bold and forward-looking diplomatic move:

Opening strategic security cooperation with the State of Israel
A nation globally respected for its experience in intelligence, counter-terror operations,
hostage rescue, and advanced security technology.
This proposal represented a chance for Nigeria to modernize its security architecture.
But instead of national unity around the idea, the country witnessed public pushback from some clerics and Islamic groups like Shk Gumi, Muric, Islamic Supreme Council Among Others, who opposed the partnership.
This opposition delayed momentum, weakened political courage, and ultimately slowed reforms that could have saved lives.

Nigerians remember that moment.
They remember who stood with progress — and who resisted it.

“You cannot resist meaningful security reforms yesterday, and pretend to lead the fight against insecurity today.”

Mr. President — Nigeria Needs Transparency and Action
President Tinubu, the nation respects your commitment to unity and stability.
But Nigerians demand decisive steps:

1. Publish the full list of terror financiers and enablers.
Transparency is overdue. Accountability cannot be selective.
2. Revive and fast-track Nigeria’s security cooperation with Israel
in partnership with the United States and other capable allies.
This includes intelligence sharing, advanced training, defensive technology, and border security support.
3. Empower Nigeria’s security leadership
We welcome the return of General Christopher Musa to the top command structure.
Nigeria would benefit from full collaboration between Gen. Musa, Deputy Minister Bianca Ojukwu, and our international partners to build the strongest anti-terror network in West Africa.

“No President is endangered by telling the truth. The nation will defend any leader who chooses transparency over silence.”

⚠To All Who Undermine Nigeria’s Security — Directly or Indirectly
Those who use influence, ambiguity, or silence to weaken national unity
must understand that Nigeria is changing.

Titles will not shield bad decisions.
Institutions will not shield complacency.
History will not shield hypocrisy.

Justice is rising.
The people are awake.
The era of sacred cows is ending.

Nigeria Will Rise — But Only Through Truth and Unity
From Zamfara to Benue, Borno to Kaduna, the blood of innocent Nigerians cries not for charity —
but for justice, reform, and courage.
A nation divided by law cannot unite against terror.

One Nation. One Law.
End Sharia in the Constitution.
End hypocrisy.
End secrecy.
Embrace truth.
Embrace reform.

Nigeria deserves nothing less.
And Nigerians will demand nothing less.

Bandits Were Created By Gen Mohammadu Buhari To Destabilize the Administration of President Goodluck Jonathan

Bandits Were Created By Gen. Buhari To Destabilize the Administration of President Goodluck Jonathan

 *BOMBSHELL*

           By

NUHU RIBADU,  FORMER  EFCC BOSS,

WROTE-;

Bandits were created by Gen Mohammadu Buhari Rtd to oust Jonathan. Bandits are not Boko Haram nor Herdsmen.

It all started in April 2014 when Mohammadu Buhari assembled his ardent supporters, promoters and strategists to determine how to remove President Jonathan Goodluck.  Prominent amongst them were El-Rufai, Gen Danbazo (Rtd).

A decision was reached to consult Miyatti Allah cattle breeders association for assistance to boot Jonathan Goodluck out of office. Consequently, the National Chairman of Miyatti Allah was engaged to bring in foreign mercenaries. Within a month, 2,000 Fulani fighters were brought in from Mali, Senegal, Niger Republic, Chad, Libya to name but a few. Further 4,000 fighters were stationed in Niger and Chad on standby.

 On arrival, they were assembled in Kaduna under the sponsorship of El Rufai and were addressed by various Northern Leaders including the Sultan of Sokoto, Gen. Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar (Rtd) etc.

Specifically, Gen Buhari in his address told the fighters that “the British handed Nigeria over to us the Fulanis at independence. The land (Nigeria) belongs to us. We must reclaim what belongs to us.”He added that at the event that Jonathan Goodluck worn the election, the Fulani machinery must fight until they regain control of the country. He assured them that the Nigerian Army was behind them.

The mercenaries received initial training from the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy and were sent to 6 camps in Ekiti State, Benue State, Katsina State, Kaduna State, Zamfara State and Borno State.

In the camps, brand new pick-up trucks, generators etc were provided them. Nigerian Airforce helicopters were used to provide them essential supplies like food, water, drinks and even arms and ammunitions.

Evidently, Jonathan Goodluck lost the election in 2015 through a well orchestrated election organised by INEC under a Fulani Chairman, Professor Jega. Gen Buhari (Rtd) was sworn in as the president. This saw the emergence of a Fulani president through a dodgy election hence the planned violent war was averted.

Contrary to expectation, the mercenaries in the various camps were abandoned, no more food and essential supplies. The relationship between Miyatti Allah, El Rufai (now a State Governor) and Dambazo broke down. El Rufai arrogantly declared that they were not needed anymore and they should go back. Consequently, the killings in Kaduna commenced as a warning to El Rufai but it did not bother him. He declared that he had paid the people carrying out the killings and they did not want to stop. The Nigerian police did not bother to call Gov El Rufai to give further clarification on this.

The Mercenary at the various camps decided to go about to find food for themselves by robbing people, going into farm lands and kidnapping.  Miyatti Allah made several efforts to contact El Rufai and Dambazzo to appeal to them to provide money.

Nollywood Blues and Multinational Corruption in Nigeria

Nollywood Blues and Multinational Corruption in Nigeria 

There is more opportunism than professionalism in Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

They should know that you can't have a film commission without at least one qualified film commissioner.

Having a film corporation is different from having a film commission.

In Nollywood, you will see someone posing and posturing as an expert on the international sales of Nigerian movies, but has not secured any international acquisition and distribution of any Nigerian movies and documentaries.

Nollywood can compete with Joziwood.

But Nollywood cannot compete with Hollywood 

You see the professional misconduct of celebrated stakeholders whose professional body misappropriated the foreign funds from the French government meant for film productions and they are still going about business as usual.

Yes. It is a good development to start a film market, because you can't have a functional film industry without an international film market. But you must know how to market the film market beyond the mere announcement of launching a film market.

In Nollywood, the box office can be fixed to favour a Nigerian movie more than other Nigerian movies.

I have written on corruption in Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry, but both the local and foreign companies and other organizations have been partners in crime in the institutionalization of corruption in Nigeria.

The major sponsor of the leading musical society in Nigeria did not like my political poem, "Empty Shells in Our Oil Wells" shortlisted for the 2001 annual poetry prize. In 2004, the multinational oil company later invited me to the head office in Lagos on supporting my proposed documentary film, "Winds of Fire, Winds of Change" on the hazards of gas flares, oil pollution and terrorism in the Niger Delta region. But later rescinded and I abandoned the production of the political documentary film and rescripted it into the screenplay of "Naked Beauty" co-authored with Dr. Christian Chika Onu, the multiple award winning Nollywood filmmaker and author of "The Unusual Story of the Early Years of Nollywood", the first book by one of pioneers of the phenomenon of the first indie film industry in Africa.

"Naked Beauty" is exclusively published by Lulu Books in hardcover version, paperback and ebook versions.

The MacArthur Foundation told me about the support for investigative journalism against corruption in Nigeria, but ironically the selected news media receiving the funds, included newspapers that refused to publish my reports on millions of dollars in tax evasions by a major American multinational oil company in 2006, because they don't want to lose their adverts. The company invited me for discussion, but I declined to honour the suspicious parley.

- by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

#nollywood

#joziwood

#hollywood

#professionalism

#journalism

#corruption

#filmmakers

#movies

#boxoffice

#french

#funds

#sponsor

#music

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#filmmarket

#commission

#filmindustry

#oilcompany

#america

#multinational

#gas

#pollution

#terrorism

#macarthurfoundation

#nigerdelta

#nigeria

#nakedbeauty

#chima

#chika

#books

The Road To Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church in Onike in Lagos

The Road To Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church in Onike in Lagos

A scene from the first phase of the principal photography of my on going documentary film, "Lagos in Motion" in 2016.

The camera is the narrator of the documentary on the sights and sounds of the largest megacity in Africa.

I have shot more than 40 hours so far and now on the final phase to complete the production.

I have not borrowed and have not applied for any funds for the production since 2016 to date.

I have spent my personal incomes and I have paid my crew and all the young tourists featured in the documentary film, including Nollywood actresses, Nunnsi Ojong, Celina Ideh and campus beauty queen, Franca Aide who  are graduates of the University of Calabar in Cross River State; fast rising actress, Magdalena Masha and model Cynthia Agu who is now in Poland. My black and beautiful production assistant, Chibuzor Okoro, my younger brother, Franklin UcheChukwu Eke, my friend, Tony Godson Uche Okeke and my production manager, Felix Omokagbo Jegede featured in the documentary film.

The principal cameraman Adesina Mutiu-Okediran used Sony FS 100 and I also used my own Sony digital camera for some of the shots. I shot this scene alone.

- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

#lagos

#nollywood

#documentaryfilm

#documentary

#megacity

#nigeria

#africa

#storytelling

#filmmaking

#narrator

#camera

#sony

#photography

#miracles

#church

LINDA IKEJI: 50 Most Outstanding Women in Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry

LINDA IKEJI: 50 Most Outstanding Women in Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry.

Linda Ikeji is a prominent Nigerian blogger, writer, and entrepreneur, widely recognized as a pioneer of the digital media landscape in Nigeria. She is best known for her highly influential and popular platform, Linda Ikeji's Blog, which focuses on Nigerian news, entertainment, lifestyle, and gossip. 

Career Overview

Early Career: 

Ikeji started writing at the age of 10 and began her career as a model and waitress to support herself through the University of Lagos, where she earned a degree in English language.
Blogging Pioneer: She started blogging as a hobby in 2006, using cybercafés due to limited internet access in Nigeria at the time. Her blog gained significant popularity around 2011 and became one of the most visited sites in Nigeria, reshaping how the country consumes entertainment news.

Media Mogul: 

Ikeji expanded her brand into a media empire, launching ventures such as Linda Ikeji TV (LITV), an online radio station (Linda Ikeji Radio), and a social networking site (Linda Ikeji Social).

Filmmaking: 

She has also ventured into film production, with recent projects including the movie Dark October (2023) and Reverse (2025), with the latter inspired by her personal experience of being denied hospital treatment. 

Influence and Recognition
Impact: 

Her success has been cited as a case study for the business of blogging in Africa by Forbes Africa. She is recognized for demonstrating the potential of new media as a viable business.

Philanthropy: 

Through her project "I'd rather be self-made; No thanks," she supports young women aged 16-25 with entrepreneurial aspirations, having disbursed millions of naira to help them start their businesses. 

Linda Ikeji is considered an integral part of the Nigerian digital age, a figure who evokes both praise as a hardworking pioneer and criticism for her controversial publications. 

PS;

The 50 Most Outstanding Women in Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry is a special feature in the third edition is the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series to be printed in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA and will be distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

The "NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series" is a book series by Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi that provides a comprehensive overview of Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry. Published in both print and digital formats, the series aims to capture the "big picture" of the industry and is targeted at a global audience interested in Nigerian cinema.  

Focus: The series is a celebration and documentation of the Nigerian film industry, covering current affairs and notable aspects of Nollywood. 

Formats: It is available in multiple formats, including paperback, hard-cover, and e-copy versions. 

Distribution: The books are distributed in Nigeria, the U.S., the UK, Canada, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world to reach its target audience.

 

Author: Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi is credited as the author of the series.

#nollywood 

#chima

#books 

#series 

#mirror 

#movies 

#filmmarket 

#filmstudies 

#filmmaking

#education

#information

#nigeria

#canada

#uk

#unitedstates

#america

#caribbean

Not Every Indian Film is Bollywood and Not Every Nigerian Movie is Nollywood

  

Not Every Indian Film is Bollywood and Not Every Nigerian Movie is Nollywood

Bollywood and Nollywood have been called the first and second largest film industries in the world for the production of the largest quantities of movies.

Bollywood is generally labelled as the Indian film industry. But it is not the overall representative of the film industry of India, because there is Tollywood, the popular Telugu film industry of Telugu language based in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in southeast India. Bollywood, the Hindi language Cinema is based in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay).

Tollywood was first coined before Bollywood and has a filmmaking history of over 100 years since 1909 when the Father of Telugu Cinema, Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu produced short films and showed them in different regions of South Asia and he built the first Indian-owned cinema halls in South India in 1921.

Tollywood is the second largest film industry in India by box-office revenue after Bollywood. And Tollywood films sold 233 million tickets in 2022, the highest among all Indian film industries. As of 2023, Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of movie screens in India.

The boisterous Telugu film industry has several Guinness World Records such as the Ramoji Film City, which holds the Guinness World Record as the largest film studio complex in the world.

The second highest grossing Indian film so far, is "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion", a 2017 Tollywood epic action film directed by S. S. Rajamouli following the current highest grossing Indian film "Dangal"  a 2016 Bollywood biographical sports drama film directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao.

I have written on the significance of the difference between Bollywood and Tollywood before on my Nigerians Report Online on Blogger.

Like Bollywood, Nollywood has been termed as the sobriquet of the Nigerian film industry since the name was coined by The New York Times in 2002. But the name Kannywood for the Hausa language film industry based in Kano was coined in 1999 before the The New York Times discovered Nollywood and said "it is like Hollywood" with starry-eyed guerilla filmmakers making dozens of movies daily from bootstraps budgets. All the movies were shot straight to video from handheld VHS cameras and sold in VHS tapes on the streets and stalls of Lagos and Onitsha before distribution to other countries across the borders to start the first indie film industry in Africa. 

While Nollywood is largely based in the predominantly Christian

southern region of Nigeria, Kannywood is based in the predominantly Islamic northern region of Nigeria.

Adamu Halilu, the Father of Hausa language Cinema was the first Nigerian indigenous filmmaker with the documentaries, "It Pays to Care" (1955) and "Hausa Village" (1958) and later made the classic film, Shaihu Umar (1976), a story of African slavery based on the novel of the same name by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, first Prime Minister of Nigeria.

The first Hausa language home video, "Tirmin Danya " was produced in 1990 in Kano.

 The National Film and Video Censorship Board, (NFVCB) Abuja, started recording and censoring video films in Nigeria from 1995, and a total of 1600 Hausa video films were officially documented between 1995 and 2005.

Majority of the foreign film critics, journalists and scholars who claimed to be experts ignored Kannywood in their reports, features and books on the Nigerian film industry.  Both Nigerian and foreign scholars have done comprehensive researches and published books on Kannywood. The most popular are Dr. Idi Adam; Dr. Abdulkareem Abdulrahman; Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Ibrahim;

Dr. Carmen McCain; Prof. Brian Larkin and Dr. Mahmoud Nourah Bamalli.

Queen of Nollywood, Genevieve Nnaji.

Joint Queen of Nollywood, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde 

Queen of Kannywood, Rahama Sadau.

Alpha Male Nollywood actor, Enyinna Nwigwe.

My NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series is the first publication that has celebrated the beautiful queens of Kannywood on the same pedestal as the beautiful queens of Nollywood in the second edition published in 2014 and distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers in hardcover version, paperback version and Amazon Kindle version.

Ike Ude's photo book, "Nollywood: Radical Beauty" ignored the stars of Kannywood. 

The big problem of Kannywood is being under the dictatorship of the Islamic religion with majority of the actors, actresses and filmmakers being Muslims.

They are monitored by the Islamic police of Kano State and the other Sharia states in northern Nigeria with several cases of the violations of their fundamental human rights even in their private lives. 

Nollywood Alpha Male actor Enyinna Nwigwe can hug and kiss the Queens of Nollywood, Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde in a romantic movie, but he cannot even dare to hug and kiss Rahama Sadau, the Queen of Kannywood on screen without incurring the wrath of the Islamic watchdogs of Kannywood.

-By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
International Digital Post Network Limited,
King of Kings Books International,
Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC)

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi
New Nigeria
www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

COMING SOON

The First Annual Bollywood To Nollywood Filmmaking Workshops

#bollywood

#tollywood

#india

#nollywood

#kannywood

#hollywood

#nigeria

#asia

#africa

#cinema

#movies

#films

#videos

#filmindustry

#entertainment

#books

#scholars

#newyorktimes

#hindi

#telugu

#christian

#islam

#christians

#muslims

#religion

#filmmakers

#filmmaking

#cinema

#lagos

#onitsha

#mumbai

#pradesh