Nollywood Has Gone Global: Nigerian Filmmakers Must Think and Work Globally

Nollywood Has Gone Global:  Nigerian Filmmakers Must Think and Work Globally

Nollywood has gone global.

We must think and work globally in content and context of telling and sharing our stories in the universal medium of filmmaking for the global audience.

Nigerian filmmakers cannot compete with the best in the world if they continue to think locally and compete locally for the local box office and going over the moon for grossing less than US$2 million for the first time in the 100 years of filmmaking in Nigeria since 1926 to 2026 when South African filmmakers have made films grossing over US$200 in the international box office.

The 2009, sci-fi film "District 9"  that grossed US$210.8 million was made by South African-born Canadian film director and screenwriter, Neill Blomkamp and was shot in South Africa;
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) made more than US$100 million;
Adventures in Zambezia ($34.4M);
Khumba ($28.4M);Tsotsi ($12M) and Sarafina! ($7.3M).
A new film, David (2025), a South African animated film produced by Sunrise Productions, has grossed over US$83.6 million worldwide as of February 6, 2026.

The Nigerian film industry should be inspired by the outstanding success stories of the film industry of South Africa.

South African filmmakers think and work globally with the best in the world.

You cannot see the big picture if you continue to gaze at the miniature of the tableaux.

- EKENYERENGOZI Michael CHIMA.
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
the first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

#nollywood
#filmmaking
#filmmakers
#movies
#storytelling
#content
#cinema
#boxoffice
#filmindustry
#entertainment
#global
#nigeria
#southafrica
#david
#district9
#series

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Nollywood Has A Critical Diversity Problem

 

Nollywood Has A Critical Diversity Problem

2026 will be a century of filmmaking in Nigeria since the first feature film, "Palaver: A Romance of Northern Nigeria"  was shot in the kingdom of Toro in 1926 by the English filmmaker and military officer, Geoffrey Barkas.

The making of "Palaver" has been published in the second edition of my NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series

in 2014 and the publication is distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

Nollywood, the first indie film industry in Africa is known as the second largest in the world after the Bollywood of India in the quantity of film productions which are mostly videos and not on celluloid. And the phenomenal guerilla filmmakers have attracted global attention to the Nigerian film industry with many articles, essays, news reports and several books written by Nigerians and foreigners in the news media and academic institutions. And documentary films have been produced on the phenomenon of Nollywood.

Majority of the writers and documentary filmmakers have focused on the most dominant features of Nollywood and Kannywood which are largely dictated by the three major tribes of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa in Nigeria.

Majority of the actors and producers are from the three tribes and so their movies have been based on the narratives and perspectives on the sociocultural, socioeconomic and sociopolitical themes of their ethnicities. 

The few filmmakers from the minor tribes have been able to represent their regions and tell their own peculiar stories. But most of the peculiarities of their tribes have not been shown in Nigerian movies.

One of the most accomplished and prolific filmmakers is Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen from Benin in Edo State and has been the leading storyteller of the lives and times of Edo people and the foremost film studies scholar on Nigerian movies in indigenous languages,  Prof. Osakue Stevenson Omoera has studied and written on Imasuen's movies.

See "Audience Reception of the Benin Language Video Film in Nollywood" by Prof. Osakue Stevenson Omoera

Journal of African Cultural Studies

Vol. 26, No. 1 (March 2014), pp. 69-81 (13 pages)

Published By: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24758457

I am still waiting for the best film productions of Imasuen that will show the rest of the world the great myths and mysteries of the great Edo people of the Benin Empire such as an epic film on  Prince Ekaladerhan, whom the Ife people now called Oduduwa.

We have epics of Yoruba stories in Nollywood, but the filmmakers have often forgotten that the minority group of Nupe people can't be ignored in the historical films on Oyo Empire, because the demigod, "Sango", the third Alaafin of Oyo was born to an Oyo father (Oranmiyan) and a Nupe mother, who was the daughter of the Elempe (Nupe king). He is considered half-Yoruba and half-Nupe, having spent part of his youth in Nupe kingdom before becoming a powerful Oyo ruler known for wielding fire. 

Nupe people have been underrepresented in both Nollywood and in Kennywood, even though they are mostly Muslims.

See the cinematic image of a Nupe cavalryman wearing lifidi (padded armour). Drawn in 1911 by Carl Arriens.

This is enough evidence that Nupe must have great untold stories that will captivate the cinema.

Among the most popular actors and actresses are personalities from the minorities like Nollywood divas Kate Henshaw, Ini Edo, Nse Ikpe-Etim and Mercy Johnson Okojie. But they have been featuring in Nollywood English movies often focused on common themes of the lives of Igbos and Yorubas and not on their own tribes who are lagging behind in the shadows of the major tribes.

Mercy Johnson-Okojie

Mercy Johnson-Okojie produced the Igala epic "The Legend of Inikpi" in 2020. But she has ignored telling the peculiar stories of her Ebira tribe of Kogi State. 

The popular actor, Efa Iwara has not told us any of the stories of his Yakö people in the Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The diversity problem goes beyond tribal bigotry in the competition for leading roles for the principal cast in movies. 

There have been complaints of tribal discrimination against actors from ethnic minority groups in Nigeria.

They have been denied special roles in preference for actors from the major tribes who have the largest audiences of movie-goers at the cinemas and largest viewers of both public and cable TV channels and majority of the  viewers of videos streaming on YouTube channels, Netflix, Facebook, Instagram and other online platforms. So, the producers say their choice of the actors is based on popularity of the star power of an influential actor or actress and not based on tribal preference. 

A woman viewing two Nollywood actresses, Nunnsi Ojong and Celina Ideh from a minority group in southern Nigeria featured in my Lagos in Motion documentary film.

A scene from my "Lagos in Motion documentary film showing an Igbo actress Cynthia Agu and an Edo actress, Franca Aide.

Lest we forget, we are the best storytellers of our own stories and our stories are best told in our own languages.

We can't call the Nigerian film industry Nollywood when millions of people from the ethnic  minorities have been ignored and marginalized among the stakeholders. 

The estimated population of Nigeria is over 236,747,130 of which 30% are Hausa; 15.5% are Yoruba; 15.2% are Igbo; 6% are Fulani;. 2.4% are Tiv; 2.4% are Kanuri; 1.8% are Ibibio and Efik; 1.8% are Ijaw and 24.7% are from the remaining minorities of the over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa.

While 29.5% (Hausa-Fulani), 20.3% (Yoruba), and 16.6% (Igbo) were historically listed as major, this leaves roughly a third or more of the population as part of various minority groups. 

The Diversity Problem of Different Sexual Orientations 

The other cases of lack of diversity and inclusion In Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry come from sections of the society with people profiled as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) and the larger community of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer).

There have been cases of widespread LGBTQ+-phobia; prejudice, fear, hatred, or discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, encompassing homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. 

The causes of LGBTQ+phobia are often religious beliefs and traditional taboos.

The largest dominant religions of Christianity in Nollywood and Islam in Kannywood forbid homosexuality and in extreme cases of intolerance, homosexuals have been attacked and banished from film productions and treated as outcasts in the society.

Homosexuality is a crime in Nigeria. Therefore, the film industry does not accept a community of people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. And so will not promote

inclusivity, covering individuals who are not heterosexual or do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. But they cannot be ignored.

They have the fundamental human rights to tell their stories and amplify their voices in Nollywood and Kannywood and WE MUST PROTECT THEM from the violations of their liberties as bonafide citizens of Nigeria and fellow humans with the same equal rights to live and work in love 💕, peace and unity. 

Diversity and inclusion will accommodate the best talents and accelerate the sustainable development and advancement of the entertainment industry and the creative economy of Nigeria.

Key Components of a Diversity Problem

Unconscious Bias & Stereotyping: 

Prejudiced, automatic assumptions that affect hiring, promotion, and daily interactions.

Underrepresentation (The "Glass Ceiling"): A lack of diverse talent in top-level leadership roles, often due to systemic barriers.

Lack of Inclusion: 

Having a diverse staff but failing to create a welcoming environment where those individuals feel valued and supported.

Cultural Clashes & Communication Barriers: 

Misunderstandings due to differences in cultural norms, communication styles, and values.

Inequitable Treatment: 

Unequal pay, limited opportunities for advancement, or exclusion from key projects based on social identity. 

Consequences of Unaddressed Diversity Problems

Reduced Innovation: 

A homogenous group fails to bring diverse perspectives to problem-solving.

Lower Productivity & Morale: Cultural clashes and unfairness increase employee turnover and decrease productivity.

Reputational Damage: 

Organizations may face negative public perception if they appear non-inclusive. 

A diversity problem is generally solved by defining specific, unique challenges rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to inclusion. 

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

The Founder/ CEO,

International Digital Post Network Limited,

Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC)

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

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

New Nigeria

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

Tel: +234 706 637 9246

PS:

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima (also known by the pseudonym Orikinla Osinachi) is a prominent Nigerian writer, publisher, and multimedia producer born on January 30, 1963, in Lagos Island. 

Professional Roles & Media Presence

He is the Founder and CEO of the International Digital Post Network Limited, the first Nigerian company to attract the IMAX Corporation to Nigeria, King of Kings Books International and Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC). He secured International partnership with the Cinewav of Singapore for the "One Village, One Cinema" initiative and partnership with the 

International Chamber of Media & Entertainment Industry (ICMEI) of India for the Bollywood To Nollywood Filmmaking workshops for international co-productions between India and Nigeria.

Writer & Publisher: 

He is the Publisher/Editor of several online platforms, including Nigerians Report Online, Nigerian Times, and the Founder and Publisher/Editor of the popular NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

Consultant: 

He has served as a social media consultant and previously worked as a National Program Consultant for UNICEF Nigeria and independent Production Manager of "Money Wise" business magazine programme on DBN TV.

Advocacy: 

He is recognized for his advocacy for girl-child education supporting the compulsory education of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria.

Art, Literary & Creative Works

Chima is a notable artist with local and International exhibitions of his drawings and paintings. He  was the national curator for the 1993 World AIDS Day "Art Against AIDS" exhibitions at the National Museum and National Theatre in Nigeria.

He is a prolific writer who is the author of numerous books spanning fiction, poetry, and historical commentary: 

Books: 

He published his first book, Children of Heaven, in 1987.

His notable titles include Bye, Bye Mugabe, a collection of short stories; collections of his poems in Children of Heaven, The Prophet Lied and Scarlet Tears of London;  The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream on the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria, In the House of Dogs and Diary of the Memory Keeper.

Prizes

Chima won the first prize in the national essay competition on What I Like Best in Nigeria organized by the Pop magazine in 1976.

His poem "Song of Patriotism" won the first prize in a national poetry competition on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in 1987.

His poem, "Empty Shells in Our Oil  Wells" was one of the finalists for the 2000 Music Society of Nigeria national poetry award.

His short story, "One Day at Obalende Bus Stop" won the third prize in the 2002 Lire en fête short story competition organized by the French Cultural Centre in Nigeria.

Early Success: 

He directed his first play at age 17 and at 18 he became the youngest independent professional scriptwriter for TV in Africa, writing episodes for the puppet drama series of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the largest TV network on the continent from 1981-84. See 

Nigeria: 'I Started Writing Professionally At 18' - allAfrica.com

https://allafrica.com/stories/201212030437.html

Visual Media: 

In 2016, he produced the photo album LAGOS in MOTION, documenting Africa's largest megacity from the principal photography of his first long documentary film project, "Lagos in Motion: Sights and Sounds of Africa's Largest Megacity".

Education & Affiliations

Education: He attended St. Gregory's College, Lagos, and later had further education from seminars and workshops by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in 1980, Book Development Council of Nigeria in 1982, Johns Hopkins University's Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) in 1984 and 1990,  PATH in 1985, UNICEF in Nigeria in 1988, World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 and other organizations.

Memberships: 

He has been a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) since 1987, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC), Digital Cinema Society (DCS), International Law Office (ILO) and Online News Association (ONA). He participated in the Digital Media Law Project (DMLP), a major initiative based at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Originally founded in 2007 as the "Citizen Media Law Project," it provided legal resources and education for independent journalists and online media

Chima’s work often bridges the gap between sociocultural analysis and political documentation.

Focus on Nollywood

As a major stakeholder in the Nigerian film industry, Chima has documented its evolution through the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series: This is a comprehensive book series—available in print and digital formats—designed to capture the "big picture" of the industry for a global audience.

The First Edition celebrates Nollywood's icons, its emergence as an African phenomenon, and its strategy for breaking into global markets.

The Second Edition highlights "New Nollywood" developments (circa 2014), including the epic Invasion 1897, the evolution of digital filmmaking, and the first Hollywood star from Nigeria, Orlando Martins.

Film Festivals: 

He is the Founder and Festival Director of the annual Eko International Film Festival and Zenith International Film Festival.

Political Commentaries

His political writings focus on pivotal moments in Nigeria's democratic history:

The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream: This book serves as a personal testimony and historical chronicle of the 2015 presidential election. It analyzes the principal actors behind the first time an incumbent president was defeated in Nigeria’s history.

Digital & Periodical Analysis: Through his platforms Nigerians Report Online and Nigerian Times, he provides ongoing commentary on Nigerian federalism, social justice, and leadership.

Satirical Critique: 

Works like Bye, Bye Mugabe use short stories to offer a broader critique of African leadership and political dynamics beyond just Nigeria. 

About EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima

 

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima (also known by the pseudonym Orikinla Osinachi) is a prominent Nigerian writer, publisher, and multimedia producer born on January 30, 1963, in Lagos Island. 

Professional Roles & Media Presence

He is the Founder and CEO of the International Digital Post Network Limited, the first Nigerian company to attract the IMAX Corporation to Nigeria, King of Kings Books International and Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC). He secured International partnership with the Cinewav of Singapore for the "One Village, One Cinema" initiative and partnership with the 

International Chamber of Media & Entertainment Industry (ICMEI) of India for the Bollywood To Nollywood Filmmaking workshops for international co-productions between India and Nigeria.

Writer & Publisher: 

He is the Publisher/Editor of several online platforms, including Nigerians Report Online, Nigerian Times, and the Founder and Publisher/Editor of the popular NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.

Consultant: 

He has served as a social media consultant and previously worked as a National Program Consultant for UNICEF Nigeria and independent Production Manager of "Money Wise" business magazine programme on DBN TV.

Advocacy: 

He is recognized for his advocacy for girl-child education supporting the compulsory education of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in Nigeria.

Art, Literary & Creative Works

Chima is a notable artist with local and International exhibitions of his drawings and paintings. He  was the national curator for the 1993 World AIDS Day "Art Against AIDS" exhibitions at the National Museum and National Theatre in Nigeria.

He is a prolific writer who is the author of numerous books spanning fiction, poetry, and historical commentary: 

Books: 

He published his first book, Children of Heaven, in 1987.

His notable titles include Bye, Bye Mugabe, a collection of short stories; collections of his poems in Children of Heaven, The Prophet Lied and Scarlet Tears of London;  The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream on the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria, In the House of Dogs and Diary of the Memory Keeper.

Prizes

Chima won the first prize in the national essay competition on What I Like Best in Nigeria organized by the Pop magazine in 1976.

His poem "Song of Patriotism" won the first prize in a national poetry competition on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in 1987.

His poem, "Empty Shells in Our Oil  Wells" was one of the finalists for the 2000 Music Society of Nigeria national poetry award.

His short story, "One Day at Obalende Bus Stop" won the third prize in the 2002 Lire en fête short story competition organized by the French Cultural Centre in Nigeria.

Early Success: 

He directed his first play at age 17 and at 18 he became the youngest independent professional scriptwriter for TV in Africa, writing episodes for the puppet drama series of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the largest TV network on the continent from 1981-84. See 

Nigeria: 'I Started Writing Professionally At 18' - allAfrica.com

https://allafrica.com/stories/201212030437.html

Visual Media: 

In 2016, he produced the photo album LAGOS in MOTION, documenting Africa's largest megacity from the principal photography of his first long documentary film project, "Lagos in Motion: Sights and Sounds of Africa's Largest Megacity".

Education & Affiliations

Education: He attended St. Gregory's College, Lagos, and later had further education from seminars and workshops by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in 1980, Book Development Council of Nigeria in 1982, Johns Hopkins University's Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) in 1984 and 1990,  PATH in 1985, UNICEF in Nigeria in 1988, World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 and other organizations.

Memberships: 

He has been a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) since 1987, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC), Digital Cinema Society (DCS), International Law Office (ILO) and Online News Association (ONA). He participated in the Digital Media Law Project (DMLP), a major initiative based at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Originally founded in 2007 as the "Citizen Media Law Project," it provided legal resources and education for independent journalists and online media

Chima’s work often bridges the gap between sociocultural analysis and political documentation.

Focus on Nollywood

As a major stakeholder in the Nigerian film industry, Chima has documented its evolution through the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series: This is a comprehensive book series—available in print and digital formats—designed to capture the "big picture" of the industry for a global audience.

The First Edition celebrates Nollywood's icons, its emergence as an African phenomenon, and its strategy for breaking into global markets.

The Second Edition highlights "New Nollywood" developments (circa 2014), including the epic Invasion 1897, the evolution of digital filmmaking, and the first Hollywood star from Nigeria, Orlando Martins.

Film Festivals: 

He is the Founder and Festival Director of the annual Eko International Film Festival and Zenith International Film Festival.

Political Commentaries

His political writings focus on pivotal moments in Nigeria's democratic history:

The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream: This book serves as a personal testimony and historical chronicle of the 2015 presidential election. It analyzes the principal actors behind the first time an incumbent president was defeated in Nigeria’s history.

Digital & Periodical Analysis: Through his platforms Nigerians Report Online and Nigerian Times, he provides ongoing commentary on Nigerian federalism, social justice, and leadership.

Satirical Critique: 

Works like Bye, Bye Mugabe use short stories to offer a broader critique of African leadership and political dynamics beyond just Nigeria. 

Contact:

Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

The Founder/ CEO,

International Digital Post Network Limited,

Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC)

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

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

New Nigeria

www.pinterest.com/nigeriansreport

Uche Montana is the Fastest Rising Young Actress in Nollywood

Uche Montana is the Fastest Rising Young Actress in Nollywood 

The 50 Most Outstanding Women in Nollywood and the Nigerian Film Industry

Uche Montana is the fastest rising young actress in Nollywood and currently tops in the 10 most viewed Nollywood movies on YouTube.

Uche Montana (born Uche Frances Nwaefuna on May 8, 1994) is a prominent Nigerian actress, model, and film producer.

Originally from Ibusa in Delta State, she grew up in Festac, Lagos, where she initially pursued a diploma in law before transitioning to the film industry in 2015. 

Career & Recent Works

Montana gained widespread recognition for her role as "Adaze" in the popular television series Hush (2016–2017). Since then, she has featured in over 60 films and recently launched her own production channel, Uche Montana TV on YouTube, which has surpassed 1 million subscribers. 

Key Movies & TV Shows: 

Poison Ivy (debut), The Fake Life of Abuja Housewives, Hire a Woman, A Weekend to Forget, and Seven.

Recent Viral Projects: 

Her 2026 film A Place With You hit 2 million views in a single day on her YouTube channel. 

Other recent titles include The Other Woman (Parts 1 & 2) and Love Choose Us.

Awards & Recognition: 

She is a 2025 AMVCA Best Actress Nominee and has previously won the Moreklue All Youth (MAYA) Award for Best Supporting Actress. 

Lifestyle: 

Known as a fashion and lifestyle enthusiast, she often shares updates on her Instagram and recently celebrated the acquisition of a 2024 Range Rover. 

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

#poetry

#filmmarket

#commission

#filmindustry

#oilcompany

#america

#multinational

#gas

#pollution

#terrorism

#macarthurfoundation

#nigerdelta

#nigeria

#nakedbeauty

#chima

#chika

#books

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

From The American King T-shirt To Uli Oma T-shirts

I have designed T-shirts, tote bags, facecaps and so much more.

My most successful is The American King T-shirt I produced in 2022 for the promotion of the theatrical release of the Hollywood and Nollywood romantic comedy in Nigeria.

Vision Films Inc of California, USA paid for 300 T-shirts.

Here are moviegoers who received The American King T-shirts during the Easter Weekend at the Exodus Cinemas in Makurdi, Benue State in NIgeria."

http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-american-king-t-shirts-easter.html

From The American King T-shirt I designed my ULI OMA T-shirts.

Beautiful Uli T-shirts.

Inspired by the Uli body painting of the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria.

The Uli Oma T-shirts, Sweatshirts and Tote bags are available by made on demand in limited edition.

I am very proud of how much I have been doing for the international appreciation and promotion of our Uli Art and Igbo Poetry form of verse which have not been celebrated since Prof. Uche Okeke passed on to eternal glory.

By Ekenyerengozi MichaeI Chima,

Email: ekenyerengozimichaelchima@gmail.com

#uli

#oma

#uliart

#igbo

#art

#bodyart

#bodypainting

#nft

#Nigeria

#tshirts

#sweatshirts

#poetry

#ucheokeke

https://nigeriansreportng.blogspot.com/2023/11/s-and-sweatshirts.html

A Century of Nigerian Cinema: Dangerous Men

 

A Century of Nigerian Cinema: From "Palaver" To Nollywood
1926-2026

The Best Nigerian Action Movies

Dangerous Men
Genre: Action
Runtime: 105 Minutes

Storyline
Emmanuel is an assassin who goes against the order of his contractor X and refuses to carry out a hit placed on Senator Kingston. Emmanuel is forced to take turn a homeless man into the perfect killer. The deadly duo forms an alliance with Kingston and go after X. This leads to the ultimate showdown between the assassin and the head of the organization. Get ready for non-stop action, masterful fight sequences.

Produced By
Gugu E Michaels
Directed By
Gugu E Michaels

Cast
George Davidson, Leo U'Che, Gugu E. Michaels, Stella Regis

About the Crew
Accomplished filmmaker GuGu E. Michaels has worked as a director and producer on a number of projects.
Feature films include Thugz, Repentance, and Dangerous County.
Actor George Davidson is well known in his home country of Nigeria.
Winner 2012 - Best African Film at the World music and indie film festival - Washington, DC.
In 2012 Michaels, racked up over 12 nominations in organizations like World Music & Independent Film festivals with Dangerous Men including Best Action, Best Cinematography, Best screenplay and Best African film.

#nollywood
#nigeria
#centenary
#actionfilm
#crime
#politocs
#corruption
#drama
#movies

 

Effective Content Marketing in Nigeria Must Target the Gen Z

Effective Content Marketing in Nigeria Must Target the Gen Z

You cannot do effective content marketing if you are ignorant of the demographics of your target audience.

The target audience for online entertainment, e-commerce and fintech industry are the Generation Z, or Gen Z of people born between 1995 and 2010. The 'Z' in the name means "zoomer", as this is the first generation known to 'zoom' the internet.

Majority of them make up the population of 65 million Nigerians using social media platforms.

They spend $975m daily on online betting.

Data from the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) has revealed that over 65 million Nigerians actively engage in betting, spending an average of $15 daily. This is just as it disclosed that everyday, 14 million bet takes and payments are made online in the country.

According to one of the fast rising upwardly mobile Nigerian Gen Z techies, Benjamin Unah, Co-Founder & Chairman - Primeries

https://primeries.com/, the #1

 streetwear marketplace that connecting shoppers to the hardest streetwear brands and creatives in Africa, "they are the most active shoppers online and subscribers of entertainment providers for streaming music and movies."

According to the report on Understanding the Gen Z in Nigeria: Trends and Insights - Sagaci Research

"Trends among the Gen Z in Nigeria: more likely to go to physical shops and use cash
Male Nigerian consumers aged 18-25 exhibit different shopping behaviours compared to older ones. A significant 58% of them would rather go to a shop than buying products online versus 47% of the older group. This result stems from young people’s preference for a physical experience; they want to visit stores, see the product firsthand, and make their choice in person. Additionally, 26% of these younger consumers prefer using cash, a higher percentage than the 16% observed in the 26+ demographic.

In contrast, older consumers are more inclined to use debit cards, with 41% opting for this payment method compared to 29% of the younger age group. Following recent banking issues in Nigeria, younger people now prefer to keep physical cash on hand for added security and to avoid potential problems.

Read the complete report on 
https://sagaciresearch.com/gen-z-nigeria-insights/
"
.

An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for history, this "wonderful history of the golden age of the movie moguls" (Chicago Tribune ) is a provocative, original, and richly entertaining group biography of the Jewish immigrants who were the moving forces behind the creation of America's motion picture industry.

Read it on Amazon Books

An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood

The Global Target Audience For Nollywood Movies and Series in Igbo and other African Content

The Global Target Audience For Nollywood Movies and Series in Igbo and other African Content in International Film Acquisition and Distribution

Using Culture and Strategy:

My market survey for a new Nigerian Igbo movie, "Infant at Heart" directed by Aguyi Ikeobi ND, a graduate of the London Film School and produced by Vera Kanu, a seasoned producer in Nollywood with famous Nollywood actor, Nkem Owoh and one of the most beautiful Nollywood divas, Monalisa Chinda in the leading roles has an estimated target audience of more than 100, 000 Igbos who will like to watch Igbo movies and can afford to pay for the tickets at the cinemas in Nigeria. 

There are also thousands of Igbos in Ghana, Cameroon and Gabon who are fans of Nkem Owoh who will be excited to watch it.

The Cultural Web 

There are more than 45 million Igbos in Africa and the Diaspora.
Nollywood movies still command hundreds and thousands of fans in West Africa and Central Africa.
The first Nollywood videos were actually videos of the popular Igbo TV series, "Masquerade" on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in the 1980s recorded on VHS tapes and watched on TV in Cameroon and Gabon.

See also Nigerian Home Videos - Festival des 3 Continents
https://www.3continents.com/en/programme/2003/home-videos-nigerianes/

The significance of cultural web is important for marketing strategy in the distribution of products and services, especially movies and TV series. 
Audiences first and foremost prefer content they can identify with and then are anxious and curious about content of other cultures.

Majority of the over 11 million viewers of "The Black Book", the 2023 Nollywood crime thriller film by Editi Effiong on Netflix were South Koreans who were anxious and curious to know what is "The Black Book".

The largest market for African movies and series are the Afro-Latinos: comprising some 150 million in the Americas.
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL32713.html#:~:text=Afro%2DLatinos%20comprise%20some%20150,marginalized%20groups%20in%20the%20region.

Unknown to Canal Plus and other multinational entertainment providers, FRANCE 24 Español has already unlocked the market, but yet to provide the African movies and series they (Afro-Latinos) will be excited to see.

The Igbo were dispersed to colonies such as Jamaica, Cuba, Saint-Domingue, Barbados, Colonial America, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.
The Igbo language is still spoken in Cuba, along with the Efik language, but in a creolized version. In ceremonies of the Abakuá culture, you can see traces of the Igbo Culture.
These are populations waiting for  Igbo movies and series and other African content.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,

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

The books have been printed in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America and distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers.

They are the highest priced book series by an African author and publisher.