Cinema of Nigeria
Encyclopedia
The cinema of Nigeria
grew quickly in the 1990s and 2000s to become the second largest film industry in the world in terms of number of annual film productions, placing it ahead of the United States
and behind the India
n film industry. According to Hala Gorani
and Jeff Koinange formerly of CNN
, Nigeria has a US$
250 million movie industry, churning out some 200 videos for the home video market every month.
Nigerian cinema is Africa's largest movie industry in terms of both value and the number of movies produced per year. Although Nigerian films have been produced since the 1960s, the rise of affordable digital filming and editing
technologies has stimulated the country's video film industry. The Nigerian video feature film industry is sometimes colloquially known as Nollywood, having been derived as a play on Hollywood in the same manner as Bollywood
.
and Hubert Ogunde
in the 1960s, but they were frustrated by the high cost of film production. However, television broadcasting in Nigeria began in the 1960s and received much government support in its early years. By the mid-1980s every state had its own broadcasting station. Law limited foreign television content so producers in Lagos began televising local popular theater productions. Many of these were circulated on video as well, and a small scale informal video movie trade developed.
The release of the box-office movie Living in Bondage
in 1992 by NEK Video Links owned by Kenneth Nnebue in the eastern city of Onitsha
set the stage for Nollywood as it is known today. The story goes that Kenneth Nnebue had an excess number of imported video cassettes which he then used to shoot the first film. The huge success of this film set the pace for others to produce other films or home videos. Through the business instincts and ethnic links of the Igbo
and their dominance of distribution in major cities across Nigeria, home videos began to reach people across the country. Nollywood exploded into a booming industry that pushed foreign media off the shelves, an industry now marketed all over Africa and the rest of the world. The use of English
rather than local languages
served to expand the market and aggressive marketing using posters, trailers, and television advertising also played a role in Nollywood's success.
Since then, thousands of movies have been released. One of the first Nigerian movies to reach international renown was the 2003 release Osuofia in London
, starring Nkem Owoh
, the famous Nigerian comedic actor. Modern Nigerian cinema’s most prolific auteur is Chico Ejiro
("Mr. Prolific"), who directed over 80 films in an 8-year period and brags that he can complete production on a movie in as little as three days. Ejiro’s brother Zeb is the best-known director of these videos outside of the country.
The first Nollywood films were produced with traditional analog video, such as Betacam SP, but today almost all Nollywood movies are produced using digital video
technology. A March 2006 article in The Guardian cited Nigeria's film industry as the third largest in the world in terms of earnings and estimated the industry to bring in US$200 million per year. In 2009, Unesco
described Nollywood as being the second-biggest film industry in the world after Bollywood in terms of output and called for greater support for the industry, which is the second-largest employer in Nigeria.
, Enugu
, and Abuja
. However, distinct regional variations appear between the northern movies made primarily in the Hausa language
, the western Yoruba
movies, the Edo language
movies shot in Benin City
, and the Igbo
movies shot in the southeast. Many of the big producers have offices in Surulere
, Lagos
.
Nigerian directors adopt new technologies as soon as they become affordable. Editing, music, and other post-production work are done with common computer-based systems.
, and 51 Iweka Road in Onitsha
in Anambra State
. Currently, Nigerian films outsell Hollywood films in Nigeria and many other African countries. Some 300 producers turn out movies at an astonishing rate—somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 a year. The films go straight to DVD and VCD discs. Thirty new titles are delivered to Nigerian shops and market stalls every week, where an average film sells 50,000 copies. A hit may sell several hundred thousand. Discs sell for two dollars each, making them affordable for most Nigerians and providing astounding returns for the producers.
Most of the films are produced by independent companies and businessmen. However, the big money for films in Nigeria is made in the direct-to-video market. The average film costs between US$17,000 and US$23,000, is shot on video in just a week—selling up to 150,000–200,000 units nationwide in one day. With this type of return, more and more are getting into the film business there. By most reports, Nollywood is a $500-million industry. And it keeps growing. According to Frank Ikegwuonu, author of Who's Who in Nollywood, about "1,200 films are produced in Nigeria annually." And more and more filmmakers are heading to Nigeria because of "competitive distribution system and a cheap workforce." Further, Nigerian films seem to be better received by the market when compared to foreign films because "those films are more family oriented than the American films."
Nigerian movies are available in even the most remote areas of the continent. The last few years have seen the growing popularity Nigerian films among the people of African diaspora in both Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Nigerian films are currently receiving wider distribution as Nigerian producers and directors are attending more internationally acclaimed film festivals. In the USA, viewers can watch Nollywood and other West African movies on Afrotainment
.
or Islamic faiths, and some movies are overtly evangelical. Others, however, address questions of religious diversity, such as the popular film One God One Nation, about a Muslim man and a Christian woman who want to marry but go through many obstacles.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
grew quickly in the 1990s and 2000s to become the second largest film industry in the world in terms of number of annual film productions, placing it ahead of the United States
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
and behind the India
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
n film industry. According to Hala Gorani
Hala Gorani
Hala Basha-Gorani , is an American anchor/correspondent for CNN International based in the network's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. She anchors CNN Internationals 1 p.m. ET International Desk from the CNN Center...
and Jeff Koinange formerly of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Nigeria has a US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
250 million movie industry, churning out some 200 videos for the home video market every month.
Nigerian cinema is Africa's largest movie industry in terms of both value and the number of movies produced per year. Although Nigerian films have been produced since the 1960s, the rise of affordable digital filming and editing
Digital cinema
Digital cinema refers to the use of digital technology to distribute and project motion pictures. A movie can be distributed via hard drives, optical disks or satellite and projected using a digital projector instead of a conventional film projector...
technologies has stimulated the country's video film industry. The Nigerian video feature film industry is sometimes colloquially known as Nollywood, having been derived as a play on Hollywood in the same manner as Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
.
History
The first Nigerian films were made by filmmakers such as Ola BalogunOla Balogun
Ola Balogun is a Nigerian filmmaker and scriptwriter. He also ventured into the Nigerian music industry in 2001. Balogun, who has been making films for over three decades, is part of the first generation of Nigerian filmmakers.-Biography:...
and Hubert Ogunde
Hubert Ogunde
Oloye Hubert Adedeji Ogunde was a Nigerian actor, playwright, theatre manager, and musician who founded the Ogunde Concert Party in , the first professional theatrical company in Nigeria.Ogunde starred in Mister Johnson, the 1990 motion picture which also featured Pierce Brosnan...
in the 1960s, but they were frustrated by the high cost of film production. However, television broadcasting in Nigeria began in the 1960s and received much government support in its early years. By the mid-1980s every state had its own broadcasting station. Law limited foreign television content so producers in Lagos began televising local popular theater productions. Many of these were circulated on video as well, and a small scale informal video movie trade developed.
The release of the box-office movie Living in Bondage
Living in Bondage
Living in bondage is a Nigerian drama thriller film directed by Chris Obi Rapu, written by Kenneth Nnebue & Okechukwu Ogunjiofor and produced by Kenneth Nnebue. It is considered to be the first Nollywood blockbuster hit movie which kicked off the Nigerian cinema industry.The film was shot...
in 1992 by NEK Video Links owned by Kenneth Nnebue in the eastern city of Onitsha
Onitsha
Onitsha is a city, a commercial, educational, and religious center and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria....
set the stage for Nollywood as it is known today. The story goes that Kenneth Nnebue had an excess number of imported video cassettes which he then used to shoot the first film. The huge success of this film set the pace for others to produce other films or home videos. Through the business instincts and ethnic links of the Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
and their dominance of distribution in major cities across Nigeria, home videos began to reach people across the country. Nollywood exploded into a booming industry that pushed foreign media off the shelves, an industry now marketed all over Africa and the rest of the world. The use of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
rather than local languages
Languages of Nigeria
The number of languages currently estimated and catalogued in Nigeria is 521. This number includes 510 living languages, two second languages without native speakers and 9 extinct languages. In some areas of Nigeria, ethnic groups speak more than one language...
served to expand the market and aggressive marketing using posters, trailers, and television advertising also played a role in Nollywood's success.
Since then, thousands of movies have been released. One of the first Nigerian movies to reach international renown was the 2003 release Osuofia in London
Osuofia in London
Osuofia in London is a Nigerian Comedy film film written and directed by Kingsley Ogoro and starring African Movie Academy Award winner Nkem Owoh...
, starring Nkem Owoh
Nkem Owoh
Nkem Owoh is a Nigerian actor and comedian. In 2008 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.-Early life:Owoh was born in Enugu, Nigeria. After his primary and secondary school he headed to the University of Ilorin and studied engineering...
, the famous Nigerian comedic actor. Modern Nigerian cinema’s most prolific auteur is Chico Ejiro
Chico Ejiro
Chico Ejiro is a Nigerian movie auteur. Little is known about Ejiro other than he originally studied agriculture, and he was drawn into video production because Nigerians would not buy blank videocassettes...
("Mr. Prolific"), who directed over 80 films in an 8-year period and brags that he can complete production on a movie in as little as three days. Ejiro’s brother Zeb is the best-known director of these videos outside of the country.
The first Nollywood films were produced with traditional analog video, such as Betacam SP, but today almost all Nollywood movies are produced using digital video
Digital video
Digital video is a type of digital recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog video signal.The terms camera, video camera, and camcorder are used interchangeably in this article.- History :...
technology. A March 2006 article in The Guardian cited Nigeria's film industry as the third largest in the world in terms of earnings and estimated the industry to bring in US$200 million per year. In 2009, Unesco
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
described Nollywood as being the second-biggest film industry in the world after Bollywood in terms of output and called for greater support for the industry, which is the second-largest employer in Nigeria.
Production
Most movies are not produced in studios. Video movies are shot on location all over Nigeria with hotels, homes, and offices often rented out by their owners and appearing in credits in the movies. The most popular locations are shot in the cities of LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Enugu
Enugu
Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...
, and Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
. However, distinct regional variations appear between the northern movies made primarily in the Hausa language
Hausa language
Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 25 million people, and as a second language by about 18 million more, an approximate total of 43 million people...
, the western Yoruba
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
movies, the Edo language
Edo language
Edo is a Volta–Niger language spoken primarily in Edo State, Nigeria. It was and remains the primary language of the Edo people of Igodomigodo. The Igodomigodo kingdom was renamed Edo by Oba Eweka, after which the Edos refer to themselves as Oviedo 'child of Edo'...
movies shot in Benin City
Benin City
Benin City, is a city and the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria. It is a city approximately twenty-five miles north of the Benin River. It is situated 200 miles by road east of Lagos...
, and the Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
movies shot in the southeast. Many of the big producers have offices in Surulere
Surulere
Surulere is a residential and commercial area, and a Local Government Area located on the Lagos mainland in Lagos State, Nigeria, with an area of 23 km². It is part of Metropolitan Lagos...
, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
.
Nigerian directors adopt new technologies as soon as they become affordable. Editing, music, and other post-production work are done with common computer-based systems.
Distribution
The primary distribution centers are Idumota Market on Lagos IslandLagos Island
Lagos Island is the principal and central local government area of the Metropolitan Lagos in Nigeria. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 in an area of 8.7 km²...
, and 51 Iweka Road in Onitsha
Onitsha
Onitsha is a city, a commercial, educational, and religious center and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria....
in Anambra State
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...
. Currently, Nigerian films outsell Hollywood films in Nigeria and many other African countries. Some 300 producers turn out movies at an astonishing rate—somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 a year. The films go straight to DVD and VCD discs. Thirty new titles are delivered to Nigerian shops and market stalls every week, where an average film sells 50,000 copies. A hit may sell several hundred thousand. Discs sell for two dollars each, making them affordable for most Nigerians and providing astounding returns for the producers.
Most of the films are produced by independent companies and businessmen. However, the big money for films in Nigeria is made in the direct-to-video market. The average film costs between US$17,000 and US$23,000, is shot on video in just a week—selling up to 150,000–200,000 units nationwide in one day. With this type of return, more and more are getting into the film business there. By most reports, Nollywood is a $500-million industry. And it keeps growing. According to Frank Ikegwuonu, author of Who's Who in Nollywood, about "1,200 films are produced in Nigeria annually." And more and more filmmakers are heading to Nigeria because of "competitive distribution system and a cheap workforce." Further, Nigerian films seem to be better received by the market when compared to foreign films because "those films are more family oriented than the American films."
Nigerian movies are available in even the most remote areas of the continent. The last few years have seen the growing popularity Nigerian films among the people of African diaspora in both Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Nigerian films are currently receiving wider distribution as Nigerian producers and directors are attending more internationally acclaimed film festivals. In the USA, viewers can watch Nollywood and other West African movies on Afrotainment
Afrotainment
Afrotainment is the first and only TV channel in North America broadcasting African movies and TV Series from Nollywood and other major African motion picture houses...
.
Themes
Many Nollywood movies have themes that deal with the moral dilemmas facing modern Africans. Some movies promote the ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
or Islamic faiths, and some movies are overtly evangelical. Others, however, address questions of religious diversity, such as the popular film One God One Nation, about a Muslim man and a Christian woman who want to marry but go through many obstacles.
Portrayal in the Western media
- The 2007 documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Welcome to NollywoodWelcome to NollywoodWelcome to Nollywood is a 2007 documentary film directed by Jamie Meltzer, which premiered at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and also played at the Avignon Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival in the summer of 2007....
by director Jamie MeltzerJamie MeltzerJamie Meltzer is an American movie and documentary film director with four movies thus far, "Pegasus" , "Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story", "Welcome to Nollywood", and the short film "La Caminata"...
gives an overview of the industry. It pays particular attention to directors Izu OjukwuIzu OjukwuIzu Ojukwu is a Nigerian film director and actor. In 2007 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Director for the film Sitanda, which received 9 nominations and won 5 awards at the 3rd African Movie Academy Awards, including Best Picture & Best Nigerian Film.-Selected Filmography :*White...
and Chico EjiroChico EjiroChico Ejiro is a Nigerian movie auteur. Little is known about Ejiro other than he originally studied agriculture, and he was drawn into video production because Nigerians would not buy blank videocassettes...
, and acknowledges the unusual, rapid, and enterprising way that most Nollywood films are created as well as their significance and contribution to the greater society and the production difficulties Ojukwu faced during production of his war epic Laviva. - Franco Sacchi's 2007 documentary This Is NollywoodThis Is NollywoodThis Is Nollywood is a Nigerian documentary film by Franco Sacchi and Robert Caputo, detailing the Nigerian film industry, much along the same lines as the acclaimed 2007 documentary, Welcome to Nollywood, by Jamie Meltzer...
follows the production of Check Point, directed by Bond Emeruwa. It features interviews with Nigerian filmmakers and actors as they discuss their industry, defend the types of films they make and detail the kind of impact they can have. In 2007, Franco Sacchi presented the film on Nollywood at the TED conference. - The 2007 DanishDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
documentary Good Copy Bad CopyGood Copy Bad CopyGood Copy Bad Copy, A documentary about the current state of copyright and culture, is a documentary about copyright and culture in the context of Internet, peer-to-peer file sharing and other technological advances, directed by Andreas Johnsen, Ralf Christensen, and Henrik Moltke.It features...
features a substantial section on Nigerian cinema. It focuses on the direct-to-DVD distribution of most Nigerian movies, as well as the industry's reliance on off-the-shelf video editing equipment as opposed to the more costly traditional film process. - A 2008 Canadian documentary Nollywood BabylonNollywood BabylonNollywood Babylon is a 2008 feature documentary film directed by Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, it is about the explosive popularity of Nigerian movies.-External links:*...
was co-directed by Ben AddelmanBen AddelmanBen Addelman is a filmmaker from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is best known for directing three documentaries: Discordia, Bombay Calling and Nollywood Babylon...
and Samir MallalSamir MallalSamir Mallal was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is best known for directing three documentaries: Discordia, Bombay Calling and Nollywood Babylon...
, and produced by AM Pictures and the National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of CanadaThe National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
in association with the Documentary ChannelDocumentary ChannelDocumentary is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , the National Film Board of Canada and four other independent producers...
. It played in the Official Competition at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January 2009.
Notable actors
- Funke AkindeleFunke AkindeleAkindele Olufunke Ayotunde is a Nigerian actress...
- Hassanat AkinwandeHassanat AkinwandeHassanat Taiwo Akinwande, stage name Wunmi, is a well-known Nigerian film and television actress. She is of Yoruba ethnicity.Her career began in the 1980s with appearances in the soap opera Feyi Kogbon. She has had leading roles in over 50 videos....
- Regina AskiaRegina AskiaRegina Askia-Williams - also known as Regina Askia - is a Nigerian born, American-based nurse who found fame as an actress, model, television producer and educational activist....
- Pascal AtumaPascal AtumaPascal Atuma is a Nigerian actor, screenwriter, director and producer.-Filmography:*Actor**2010: My American Nurse 2**2009: Hurricane in the Rose Garden...
- Liz BensonLiz BensonElizabeth Benson is a Nollywood Actress whose rise started from the soap opera "Fortunes" in 1993. She later switched into home movies like "Glamour Girls" , True Confessions and Izaga to mention a few. The Efik born acting diva is one of Nigeria's most prolific actresses and holds a degree in...
- Chioma ChukwukaChioma ChukwukaChioma Chukwuka is a Nigerian actress. In 2007 she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a leading role.- Early life :Chukwuka was born in Oraifite, Anambra State, Nigeria...
- Stella Damasus-AboderinStella Damasus-AboderinStella Damasus-Aboderin is a Nigerian actress and singer. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2009.-Early life:Damasus-Aboderin was born Stella Ojukwu in Asaba, Delta State...
- Richard Mofe DamijoRichard Mofe DamijoRichard Mofe Damijo is a Nigerian actor and politician. In 2005 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Since January 2009 he is the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State, Nigeria.- Early life :Mofe-Damijo was born in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria...
- Tonto DikehTonto DikehTonto Dikeh, also known as Tonto Dike is a Nigerian actress from Rivers State and is of the Ikwerre tribe. Dikeh, from a family of seven, lost her mother at the age of three....
- Rita DominicRita DominicRita Uchenna Nkem Dominic Waturuocha is a Nigerian actress.-Early life:Rita Dominic is a member of the Royal Waturuocha family of Aborh Mbaise local government area in Imo State. She is the youngest of 4 siblings. Her late parents were medical practitioners; her father was a medical doctor and her...
- Ini EdoIni EdoIni Edo is a Nigerian actress. She was born on April 19, 1982. She began her film career in the year 2000, and has featured in more than 50 movies since that time...
- Pete EdochiePete EdochiePete Edochie is a Nigerian actor. A devout Catholic, he is considered one of Africa’s most talented actors, by both Movie Awards and Movie Magic’s Africa Magic Cable network...
- Ufuoma EjenoborUfuoma EjenoborUfuoma Stacey Ejenobor is a Nollywood Actress, Presenter and Model based in Nigeria.Ufuoma Stacey Ejenobor /pronounced "oof-oh-ma, stay-see, edge-air-no-bore"/ Best Actress nominee at the Monte Carlo Television Festival 2010 is a highly celebrated Nollywood actress and model based in Nigeria...
- Omotola Jalade EkeindeOmotola Jalade EkeindeOmotola Jalade Ekeinde is a Nollywood actress. She is married to Capt. Matthew Ekeinde and has 4 children. Apart from being one of the most successful Nollywood actresses, she is also a singer and is involved in extensive charity work in her home country of Nigeria.- Career :Her first role in a...
- Desmond ElliotDesmond ElliotDesmond Elliot is a Nigerian actor and director, who has starred in over two hundred films and a number of television shows and soap operas.- Early life :...
- Nse Ikpe EtimNse Ikpe EtimNse Ikpe Etim is a Nigerian actress. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2009.- References :...
- Kate Henshaw-NuttalKate Henshaw-NuttalKate Henshaw-Nuttall is a Nigerian actress. In 2008 she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.-Early life:Henshaw-Nuttall is the oldest of four children...
- Osita IhemeOsita IhemeOsita Iheme is a Nigerian actor. He is widely known for playing the role of 'Pawpaw' in the film Aki na Ukwa alongside Chinedu Ikedieze. In 2007 Osita received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the African Movie Academy Awards...
- Chinedu IkediezeChinedu IkediezeChinedu Ikedieze, MFR is a Nigerian actor. He is best known for playing alongside Osita Iheme in most movies after their breakthrough in the movie Aki na Ukwa. In 2007 Ikedieze received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the African Movie Academy Awards.-Filmography:-References:...
- Jim IykeJim IykeJim Iyke is a Nigerian actor. He started acting in 2005, and was crowned Sexiest Man in Nigeria in 2008. He has starred in over 200 Nollywood movies in Nigeria, and is also popular for starring in roles alongside Rita Dominic.-External links:...
- Mercy JohnsonMercy JohnsonMercy Johnson Ozioma, popularly known as Mercy Johnson, is a Nigerian actress who made her acting debut in the movie, "The Maid" in which she played the role of a possessed house help. Her performance in the movie shot her into the limelight and has acted in other major movies ever since. Mercy...
- Kanayo O. KanayoKanayo O. KanayoAnayo Modestus Onyekwere is a Nigerian actor. In 2006 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role....
- Oby KechereOby KechereOby Kechere is a Nigerian actress and film director. She comes from Mbaise in Imo State, Nigeria. , Nigeria Daily News, Retrieved November 1, 2010...
- Jide Kosoko
- Genevieve NnajiGenevieve NnajiGenevieve Nnaji is a Nigerian actress. In 2005 she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. CNN states that she is referred to as the "Julia Roberts of Africa".- Early life :...
- Ramsey NouahRamsey NouahRamsey Tokunbo Nouah Jr, is a Nigerian actor. In 2010 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.- Early life :...
- Stephanie OkerekeStephanie OkerekeStephanie Onyekachi Okereke is a Nigerian actress, film director and model. She has received several awards and nominations for her work as an actress, including the 2003 Reel Award for Best Actress, the 2006 Afro Hollywood Award for Best Actress, and three nominations for Best Actress in a...
- Oge OkoyeOge OkoyeOge Okoye is a Nigerian actress. Born in London, she graduated from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University with a degree in Theatre Arts.- Filmography :* Blackbery Babes * War Game * 11:45.....
- Zack OrjiZack OrjiZachee Ama Orji was born in Libreville, Gabon in the 1960s. He is a Nigerian actor, director, producer and filmmaker. He is a graduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Having grown up in Cameroon, Benin and Togo he speaks both English and French fluently. His first movie was in 1991, which is...
- Nkem OwohNkem OwohNkem Owoh is a Nigerian actor and comedian. In 2008 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.-Early life:Owoh was born in Enugu, Nigeria. After his primary and secondary school he headed to the University of Ilorin and studied engineering...
- Baba SuweBaba SuweBaba Suwe is a Yoruba actor in Nollywood, known for his comedy roles in Yoruba movies. Alhaji King Babatunde Ayinla Nurudeen Olasunkanmi Omidina, aka Baba Suwe. He was married to an actress Late Monsurat Omidina, a.k.a. Omoladun Kenkelewu. He is fluent in English and YorubaThe 53-year-old Omidina...
- Dolly UnachukwuDolly UnachukwuDolly Unachukwu is a Nigerian actress.Dolly Unachukwu is one of the pioneers of Nollywood, a talented actress, writer, producer and recently turned film director. Born in 1969 to a family of seven, Unachukwu started her acting career at the age of 16...