Global InformationCinema of Nigeria information
| Cinema of Nigeria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| No. of screens | 218 (2019)[1] |
| • Per capita | 0.1 per 100,000 (2011)[2] |
| Main distributors | FilmOne Distributions 45.0% Silverbird Film Distribution 20.0% Blue Pictures 5.0%[3] |
| Produced feature films (2020)[4] | |
| Total | 2,599 |
| Number of admissions (2019)[5] | |
| Total | 5,432,537 |
| • Per capita | 0.03 |
| Gross box office (2022)[8] | |
| Total | $6.4 billion [6] |
| National films | ₦6.94 billion (US$16.65 million) [7] |
| This article is part of a series in |
| Culture of Nigeria |
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The cinema of Nigeria, often referred to informally as Nollywood, consists of films produced in Nigeria; its history dates back to as early as the late 19th century and into the colonial era in the early 20th century. The history and development of the Nigerian motion picture industry is sometimes generally classified in four main eras: the Colonial era, Golden Age era, Video film era and the emerging New Nigerian cinema era.[9]
Film as a medium first arrived in Nigeria in the late 19th century, in the form of peephole viewing of motion picture devices.[10] These were soon replaced in the early 20th century with improved motion picture exhibition devices, with the first set of films screened at the Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos from 12 to 22 August 1903.[9][11] The earliest feature film made in Nigeria is 1926's Palaver directed by Geoffrey Barkas, which was also the first to feature Nigerian actors in substantial roles.[12][13] As of 1954, mobile cinema vans played to at least 3.5 million people in Nigeria, and films being produced by the Nigerian Film Unit were screened for free at the 44 available cinemas. The first film entirely copyrighted to the Nigerian Film unit is Fincho (1957) by Sam Zebba; which is also the first Nigerian film to be shot in colour.[14]
After Nigeria's independence in 1960, the cinema business rapidly expanded, with new cinema houses being established.[15] As a result, Nigerian films in theatres increased in the late 1960s into the 1970s, especially productions from Western Nigeria, owing to former theatre practitioners such as Hubert Ogunde and Moses Olaiya transitioning into the big screen.[16][17] In 1972, the Indigenization Decree was issued by Yakubu Gowon, which demands the transfer of ownership of about a total of 300 film theatres from their foreign owners to Nigerians, which resulted in more Nigerians playing active roles in the cinema and film.[18] The oil boom of 1973 through 1978 also contributed immensely to the spontaneous boost of the cinema culture in Nigeria, as the increased purchasing power in Nigeria made a wide range of citizens to have disposable income to spend on cinema going and on home television sets.[16] After several moderate performing films, Papa Ajasco (1984) by Wale Adenuga became the first blockbuster, grossing approximately ₦61,000 (approx. 2015 ₦21,552,673) in three days. A year later, Mosebolatan (1985) by Moses Olaiya also went ahead to gross ₦107,000 (approx. 2015 ₦44,180,499) in five days.[19]
After the decline of the Golden era, Nigerian film industry experienced a second major boom in the 1990s, supposedly marked by the release of the direct-to-video film Living in Bondage (1992); the industry peaked in the mid-2000s to become the second largest film industry in the world in terms of the number of annual film productions, placing it ahead of the United States and behind only India.[20] It started dominating screens across the African continent, and by extension the Caribbean and the wider diaspora,[21] with the movies significantly influencing cultures[22] and the film actors becoming household names across the continent. The boom also led to backlash against Nigerian films in several countries, bordering on theories such as the "Nigerialization of Africa".[23][24]
Since the mid-2000s, during the decline of the video-film era, the Nigerian cinema has undergone some restructuring to promote quality in output and professionalism in the industry, with The Figurine (2009) widely regarded as marking the major turnaround of contemporary Nigerian cinema. There has since been a resurgence in cinema establishments, and a steady return of the cinema culture in Nigeria.[9][25] As of 2013, Nigerian cinema is rated as the third most valuable film industry in the world based on its worth and revenues generated.[26] with the movies significantly influencing cultures.
- ^ "Nigeria Box Office Year Book, 2019". books.filmhouseng.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "Table 8: Cinema Infrastructure - Capacity". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Table 6: Share of Top 3 distributors (Excel)". UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 May 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "Nigerian Movies Production Data". National Bureau of Statistics. May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Nigeria Box Office Year Book, 2019". books.filmhouseng.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "Nollywood Ranks Second Fastest Growing Movie Industry Globally". Lagos,Nigeria: ARISENEWS. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ "Nigeria's box office generates 6.94bn revenue in 2022". Lagos, Nigeria: Business Day. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Okedara, Solomon (12 September 2013). "Before the 'oil festival' ends". Lagos, Nigeria: National Mirror. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
CCSUwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "X-raying Nigerian Entertainment Industry At 49". Modern Ghana. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- ^ Olubomehin, Oladipo O. (2012). "CINEMA BUSINESS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA SINCE 1903". Historical Research Letter. 3. ISSN 2224-3178.
- ^ Ekenyerengozi, Michael Chima (21 May 2014). "Recognizing Nigeria's Earliest Movie Stars - Dawiya, King of the Sura and Yilkuba, the Witch Doctor". IndieWire. Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- ^ "PALAVER: A ROMANCE OF NORTHERN NIGERIA". Colonial Film. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- ^ "Lights, Camera, Africa!!!". Goethe Institute. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- ^ Olubomehin, Oladipo O. (2012). "CINEMA BUSINESS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA SINCE 1903". Historical Research Letter. 3. ISSN 2225-0964.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
autogenerated5was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Adegbola, Tunde (2011). "Coming of Age in Nigerian Moviemaking". African Film Festival Inc. New York. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ Obiaya, Ikechukwu. "The Blossoming of the Nigerian Video Film Industry". Academia. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ Olubomehin, Oladipo O. (2012). "CINEMA BUSINESS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA SINCE 1903". Historical Research Letter. 3. ISSN 2224-3178.
- ^ "Nigeria surpasses Hollywood as world's second largest film producer – UN". United Nations. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ^ "Nollywood: Lights, camera, Africa". The Economist. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
academiawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Onuzulike, Uchenna (2007). "Nollywood: The Influence of the Nigerian Movie Industry on African Culture". Nollywood Journal. Archived from the original on 31 January 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- ^ ""Nollywood": What's in a Name?". Nigeria Village Square. 3 July 2005. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ "Nigerian films try to move upmarket: Nollywood's new scoreboard". The Economist. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ Brown, Funke Osae (24 December 2013). "Nollywood improves quality, leaps to N1.72trn revenue in 2013". Business Day Newspaper. Business Day Online. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2014.