{"id":2411240,"date":"2026-05-11T10:22:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T10:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2411240"},"modified":"2026-05-11T10:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T10:22:12","slug":"nollywoods-next-act-how-nigerias-film-industry-is-leveling-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/nollywoods-next-act-how-nigerias-film-industry-is-leveling-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Nollywood’s next act: How Nigeria’s film industry is leveling up"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The growth of Nigeria\u2019s film industry<\/a> can be traced, curiously enough, to a time of neglect. During the 1990s, a lack of government funding pushed unemployed actors and crew to produce their own films and sell them on VHS or DVD to recoup costs \u2014 including Chris Obi Rapu\u2019s home video blockbuster \u201cLiving in Bondage,\u201d which inspired a new wave of filmmakers eager to tell their own stories. Today, Nollywood (a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood) is much larger, producing the second most movies globally after India. But financial constraints, inconsistent support systems and limited access to global markets remain, albeit in different forms \u2014 and the creative hustle of that defining era is still as important as ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause our industry grew out of people and not government policies, there isn\u2019t a massive African studio system to make and distribute films,\u201d says Chioma Ude, the founder of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and the AFRIFF Film & Content Market. The latter, a platform designed to connect African filmmakers with buyers, agents and investors to sell, distribute and co-produce content, has attracted the support of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACCE), positioning Nigeria as a global player. \u201cWe decided to use our platform to teach filmmakers about regional distribution,\u201d Ude says.<\/p>\n

This independent streak has helped Nollywood weather the ups and downs of the international streaming economy, dominated by the same handful of players in West Africa as it is in Southern California.<\/p>\n

When Netflix entered the Nigerian market in 2016 and scooped up the rights to Genevieve Nnaji\u2019s empowering film \u201cLionheart\u201d<\/a> (2018), it set the stage for the streamer to bet big on Nigerian talent, signing major deals that included \u201cStar Wars\u201d actor John Boyega and multititle partnerships with Mo Abudu\u2019s EbonyLife Media and Kunle Afolayan\u2019s Golden Effects Pictures. Through 2023 it is estimated Netflix invested $23.6 million in original content and licensing deals, bringing dozens of hits to the platform such as \u201cSwallow\u201d (2021), \u201cThe Black Book\u201d (2023) and \u201cJagun Jagun\u201d (2023). Netflix was not alone. Amazon Prime Video soon followed, launching its localized service in the country in 2022, signing development pacts and investing in original content, J\u00e1de Osiberu\u2018s polished epic \u201cGangs of Lagos\u201d and the unscripted series \u201cLOL: Last One Laughing Naija\u201d among them.<\/p>\n

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A scene from \u201cLove, Lanre.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Africa International Film Festival)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

The strategy was effective: Content was reaching international audiences, production quality improved, private equity was investing and output reached new levels. Despite the pandemic, Africa\u2019s most populous country produced 2,599 films in 2020, according to the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics.<\/p>\n

Everything changed in 2024.<\/p>\n

Economic challenges and a low subscriber base saw the streaming giants pull funding for original content, a decision that left filmmakers pivoting and many observers asking: What\u2019s next for Nollywood?<\/p>\n

The answer lies in streamlining distribution. \u201cWe are encouraging regional sales,\u201d says Ude. \u201cIf you are a filmmaker ready to work with sales agents and distributors to sell your films regionally, it\u2019s more work, but you will make a lot more than you even made with the streamers coming on board. That way, when the streamers do come back, asking for your worldwide rights, it\u2019s going to be a different story. We just have to take the hit now and work hard towards elevating ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Ude, the shift is a positive development, but \u201cMy Mother Is a Witch\u201d and \u201cColours of Fire\u201d director Niyi Akinmolayan, whose Anthill Studios was among those to ink a deal with Prime Video, warns of potential hurdles. \u201cI\u2019m gonna shock you,\u201d he says. \u201cEven in West Africa, it\u2019s hard to sell a Nigerian film to Ghana, or to the Republic of Benin. They don\u2019t get some of our jokes or subtleties. It\u2019s also difficult to sell our films in South Africa. We may all look alike to the typical American or European, but culturally, we are very different.\u201d His answer? Producing stories that close the gap. \u201cI\u2019ve told Nollywood filmmakers that one way forward is to develop films where you have a lot of cross-culture influences. When you do that, people might be excited because they can see someone like them in the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

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(Stats provided by: Comscore, compiled by FilmOne)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Increasing access to cinemas is another effort, with the number of screens growing from 218 to 369 between 2019 and 2025. The ratio of Hollywood to Nollywood productions on those screens has shifted from 62-38% to 47-53% over that same period \u2014 highlighting the demand for local stories. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have a lot of cinemas then as compared to now,\u201d says Victoria Ogar, the head of distribution at FilmOne Entertainment, West Africa\u2019s largest distributor. \u201cWe had Hollywood dominating our space, but then over time, we noticed that people started to react to Nollywood films. They speak to the value of the people, the culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A scene from \u201cMy Mother Is a Witch.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Anthill Studios)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

West Africans spent \u20a615.6 billion (approximately $11.3 million) at the box office in 2025, a 36% increase from the previous year, according to Comscore data. Admission has steadily climbed since 2023, underscoring the interest in theatrical experiences. Last year witnessed the first Nollywood title \u2014 Funke Akindele\u2019s \u201cBehind the Scenes\u201d \u2014 to cross the \u20a61 billion mark in the same year as its release, doing so in just 19 days. Ogar suggests these numbers would be even higher if there were more local theaters, especially during the December peak season, when up to 20% of the yearly box office revenue can be earned. \u201cWe have a lot of people who would actually like to see a film at the cinema. But when they look at the stress of going to a different city, that in itself makes them say, \u2018I\u2019m not going.\u2019 If the cinema was close, they wouldn\u2019t have to spend much to get there and they would say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"A <\/picture>\n
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(Stats provided by: Comscore, compiled by FilmOne)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

The most significant hurdle for Nollywood, however, is building on its international successes. \u201cNigeria is looking to expand beyond the UK, U.S. and Canadian markets,\u201d notes Ogar. \u201cThose are three countries we play a lot in because of the number of people who have migrated or relocated from Nigeria. But beyond that, places like Europe are still very shaky. The film bookers will tell you that the culture, or the language, or even the story is not well understood.\u201d <\/p>\n

Akinmolayan agrees. \u201cI believe strongly that there isn\u2019t a taste for African content outside core Africans, even in diaspora. You see that there is a curiosity for Indian cinema and Chinese cinema, but then you also have culture that has been successfully exported. So you might have an interest in going out with your friends to see a Bollywood movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ude has already observed progress in addressing Nigeria\u2019s cultural disconnect. \u201cDistributors in other countries are asking to buy documentaries and I asked them why. They said, \u2018If I understand your culture better and who you are, then I\u2019ll buy your films,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s the getting-to-know-you phase.\u201d Since signing the pact between the AFRIFF and FMACCE, she says they\u2019re making positive strides in South Korean, Middle Eastern and South American markets. \u201cPeople don\u2019t really understand what policy does for the industry,\u201d Ude asserts. \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot more countries ask questions because of our partnership with the FMACCE.\u201d This year, AFRIFF was selected to represent Nigeria as the only African partner in March\u00e9 du Film\u2019s \u201cGoes to Cannes\u201d program, which showcases curated works in progress from international markets. AFRIFF curated five films to present during the event.<\/p>\n

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\"A <\/picture>\n
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A scene from \u201cAchalugo.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Africa International Film Festival)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

To fill the void left by streamers, Nigeria is attracting new productions and investment through tax incentives and industry reforms. Projects can access up to 30% rebates on local expenses. FMACCE also launched initiatives to build world-class studio facilities across Lagos and Abuja; signed co-production treaties with several foreign countries to give productions access to international funding, tax reliefs and production resources; and introduced the Creative Economy Development Fund, which provides funds and marketing grants for local film and TV projects. All in an effort to expand global reach and improve audience experience. \u201cWe have moved from quantity to quality,\u201d says Ogar.<\/p>\n

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\"A <\/picture>\n
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(Stats provided by: Comscore, compiled by FilmOne)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

In turn, these developments promise to smooth out another wrinkle in the Nigerian film industry\u2019s growth story: the talent pool. \u201cA lot of filmmakers will say we don\u2019t have enough funding. I would say we don\u2019t have enough training,\u201d Ude suggests.<\/p>\n

Akinmolayan shares a similar sentiment. \u201cThere needs to be investment in building a hub for training. There are so many young talents and a lot of them cannot afford film school or technical schools to learn these skills. Once there is investment in local talent and good distribution pathways, production will happen and people will scale up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.latimes.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The growth of Nigeria\u2019s film industry can be traced, curiously enough, to a time of neglect. During the 1990s, a lack of government funding pushed unemployed actors and crew to produce their own films and sell them on VHS or DVD to recoup costs \u2014 including Chris Obi Rapu\u2019s home video blockbuster \u201cLiving in Bondage,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2411241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2411240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nollywoods-next-act-How-Nigerias-film-industry-is-leveling-up.com2F742Fdd2F41430ca741aca2ac74fef6f2.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2411240"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2411242,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411240\/revisions\/2411242"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2411241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2411240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2411240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2411240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}