Nollywood has earned local and global recognition for its creativity, productivity and cultural influence, but an important question remains unanswered – Does producing films in large numbers automatically make Nollywood an industry?
Let me situate it.
What is an industry?
– Where there exists shared products & services.
– Shared workflows & processes.
– Shared or standardized classification systems.
– Shared market.
– Entire economic activity, built around exploitation and commercialization of knowledge, intellectual property and human creativity.
(Remodelled from Google)
So, an industry is more than the sum of the products it creates.
It is a structured ecosystem in which production, financing, distribution, exhibition, intellectual property, skills development and investment _work together to generate sustainable economic value_.
If we agree to the above, Nollywood is an industry in the making, only because its industrial structure remains incomplete.
What Nollywood has achieved?
Production:
A substantial volume of films on video: YouTube, Cinema, Streaming and countless television content.
Through the works of shinning lights, from our progenitors like Hubert Ogunde, Duro Ladipo, Ola Balogun, Wole Soyinka to Tunde Kelani, Tade Ogidan, Amaka Igwe, to Izu Ojukwu, Rogers Ofime, Kemi Adetiba, Jade Osiberu, Bolanle Austen Peters, Femi Odugbemi, Mo Abudu, Moses Inwang, Femi Adebayo & countless others making great impact.
Talent:
A deep pool of, writers, directors, cinematographers, producers, managers and other technical professionals.
For performing talents, Nigeria produced the likes of Olu Jacobs, Adebayo Salami, Jide Kosoko, Richard Damijo, Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey Nouah, Omotola Jalade down to other stars like Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Omowunmi Dada, Deyemi Okanlawon, Linda Ejiofor, Bimbo Ademoye down to Genevieva Umeh, Gbugbemi Ejeye, Maurice Sam, Chimezie Imoh, etc.
Market reach:
There is growing international visibility and access to global streaming platforms, like the interface that existed with Amazon Prime, Netflix ,Showmax and other local streamers. Our films are now showing up at Sundance, Venice and Toronto ..these are reputable international film festivals.
Thankfully, we have developed film festivals making key contributions to the space. Headlined by Abuja International film festival, Zuma International film festival, Africa international film festival, they all have awards in their programming.
Added to these are Africa magic viewers choice Awards, (AMVCA) Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)
Cultural influence:
Nollywood has acquired to appreciable measure, the ability to tell Nigerian stories that resonate across borders. Our dress pattern is copied, the way we talk, the way we walk, the foods we eat, the music we listen to etc.
Entrepreneurship:
Though a largely private-sector-driven creative economy that has demonstrated remarkable resilience, the Government (and private organizations) every now and then develops ways of intervention via soft loans and outright grants – it is a great hope that they unbundle their support systems to be measurable and time specific.
Distribution & Exhibition.
Nollywood has developed efficient channels that connects fee paying audiences operating in the industry to maximize revenue.
They abound, Film one, Blue Pictures, Genesis, Silver bird, Ebony Life, the new addition Nile and few others.
Intellectual property management.
stronger protection, liscencing, monetization and protection of rights. Some notable law firms have been collaborating with top players in the industry.
With better and deeper awareness, user sensitization, among various stakeholders, Audio Visual Rights Society (AVRS) is stamping it’s foot solidly on collective management.
*But something is still Missing*!
*Structured financing:* Reliable investment, production finance and mechanisms for recouping capital have not been fully integrated in the ecosystem.
Market data:
Credible audience statistics, box-office reporting and transparent revenue information.
Reliable Business organisation:
Sustainable companies, professional management, predictable contracts and re-investment.
Policy and infrastructure:
An enabling environment for investment, skills development and capacity building is necessary for long-term growth.
The Fundamental Question is..
*If producers cannot reliably recover their investments, if intellectual property does not generate sustained income, if distribution remains fragmented, and if businesses struggle to build on the success of individual productions, can we confidently describe the entire ecosystem as a mature industry?*
The answer requires a distinction:
Nollywood is unquestionably an industry in the broad economic sense, but it has yet to achieve the level of integration, institutional strength and financial sustainability associated with a fully developed film industry.
My conclusion therefore is…
The challenge before us, Nollywood is no longer simply to produce more films.
It is to build a system that makes filmmaking commercially sustainable, rewards creativity, protects investment, develops audiences and enables businesses to grow beyond individual projects.
*Onwochei, FTA, a project advisor and Motion Picture consultant. He lives in Lagos*
