YORUBA FILMMAKERS PIONEERED HOME VIDEO, NOT NOLLYWOOD – OSUOFIA

Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has clarified his position on the origins of Nigeria’s home-video industry, insisting that Yoruba filmmakers pioneered the movement long before the emergence of what is now popularly known as Nollywood.

The actor’s comments have reignited conversations about the history of Nigeria’s film industry and the contributions of different regional film communities to its growth.

Owoh argued that the Yoruba movie industry played a major pioneering role in the development of home-video filmmaking in Nigeria, challenging the popular tendency to associate the industry’s beginnings primarily with Nollywood’s English-language productions.

The Yoruba film industry had a strong tradition of travelling theatre, stage performances and film production before the home-video boom of the 1990s. Its early productions helped establish a market for locally made Nigerian films.

The emergence of Nollywood, particularly through the success of English-language home-video productions, later expanded the industry and attracted international attention.

Owoh’s clarification highlights the importance of recognising the different contributors to Nigerian cinema rather than overlooking the early efforts of Yoruba filmmakers.

The debate also reflects the long-standing relationship between the Yoruba-language movie industry and the wider Nigerian film industry, both of which have played significant roles in shaping the country’s entertainment landscape.