Entertainment
Why UNESCO Rated Nollywood World Second Biggest
Nkem Owoh Osuofia
The Nigeria’s film in
dustry is currently ranked as the 2nd largest film industry in the world (after India) based on the number of films released per annum and it is worth over US $ 3.5 billion.
The movie capital of the country is majorly in Lagos.
However, regional films are also produced in various parts of the country.
The first Nigerian films were made by film makers such as Ola, Balogun and Hubert Ogunde in the 1960s, but they were frustrated by the high cost of film production. However televise broadcasting in the country began in the 19605 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 theatre productions. Many of these were circulated on videos as well, and a small scale informal video movie trade developed.
Nigerian film industry had always been making films on celluloid and the films were greened in cinema houses across Nigerian later released on VHS for various homes. However the release of the straight-to- video movie “Living in Bondage” in 1992 by NEK Video Links Owned by Kenneth Nnebue Launched the Home Video market in Nigeria. He had an excess number of imported video cossets which he then used to shoot his first film on a video camera.
Nollywood exploded into a booming industry in the Late 90s and pushed the foreign media off the shelves.
It is now an industry marketed all over Africa and the rest of the World.
The use of English rather than local languages expanded the market and aggressive marketing using posters, trailers and television advertising also played a key role in Nollywoods’ success.
One of the first Nigerian movies to reach international renown was the 2003 release “Osuofia in London” starring Nkem Owoh, the Nigerian comedic actor.
First Nollywood films were produced using celluloid while Nollywood’s straight-to-video productions were produced with traditional analog video such as Beta cam sp but today almost all Nollywood movies are produced using digital cinematography technology.
It will be recalled that the Guardian has cited Nigeria’s film industry as the third largest in adle world in earnings and estimated the industry to bring in US $ 250 MILLION PER YEAR. In April 2014 Nigeria’s GDP rebasing was concluded to be worth NG N853.9 billion (US $ 5.1 billion) and Nigeria’s Economy was announced as the Largest in Africa.
Nollywood’s biggest completion in the Nigerian market is the Ghanaian Film industry.
However, many Ghanaian productions are copy righted to Nollywood and distributed by Nigerian a Marketers due to Nigeria’s bigger market.
Nigerian film makers usually feature Ghanaian actors in Nollywood movies as well and that has led to the popularity of Ghanain actors almost their Nigerian Counterparts.
Van Vicker, a popular Ghanaian actor has starred in many Nigerian movies. As a result of these collaborations western viewers often confused Ghanaian movies with Nollywood and count their sales as one. However, they are two independent industries that sometimes. Share the colloquial ‘Nollywood.’
In 2009 UNESCO described Nollywood as being the second biggest film industry in the world after Bollywood of India in out put and called for greater support for the second largest employer of Labour in Nigeria.
The Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine is a prestigious accolade awarded by Thomas Jefferson University, recognising outstanding individuals.
The actress was honoured with the Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine by Thomas Jefferson University in America in recognition of her outstanding contributions to social activism and impact through her work.
This remarkable achievement, they said, highlights her dedication to societal well-being and marks her as the first Black recipient of this distinguished award.
The Tide Entertainment reports that the Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine is a prestigious accolade awarded by Thomas Jefferson University, recognising individuals who have made significant contributions to the medical field, promoting scientific discovery and advancements.
Named after Lennox K. Black, a Canadian manufacturing executive known for his philanthropic efforts and service on various boards, including Thomas Jefferson University, the prize celebrates excellence in medical innovation and global contribution to health and medicine.
The actress is renowned for her activism and impactful work in areas concerning women’s health and rights, including her efforts to combat issues like fistula and gender-based violence.
According to the award organisers she has been instrumental in bringing about social change through her films and campaigns. They added that her work extends beyond borders, affecting lives and policies internationally, embodying the spirit of the Lennox K. Black International Prize.
On receiving the award, Stephanie expressed her gratitude and reaffirmed her commitment to using her platform for social good.
“This recognition goes beyond me; it is for all the women and girls fighting for a healthier, safer world. It amplifies our message and our work. It strengthens my resolve to continue advocating for gender equality, social justice, and improved maternal and reproductive health in Africa,” she said
Susan Aldunge, Interim President of Thomas Jefferson University, admired the actress, saying, ‘‘Your ability to educate while humbly addressing the cultural obstacles impeding progress for young women is commendable. Your intelligent, personal take on the necessary human rights changes has deeply impacted all lucky to encounter you. Congratulations once more on this well-deserved award and the acknowledgement of your efforts.’”
Ms Aldunge further said that Thomas Jefferson University, a leader in medical education and research, hosts the award to underscore its mission of improving lives through innovation in health care.
‘‘The university is proud to honour Stephanie Linus, whose work aligns with Jefferson’s values of creativity, collaboration, and compassion in pursuing excellence in medicine and beyond.
“Awarding the Lennox K. Black International Prize to Stephanie Linus celebrates her achievements and signals a broader recognition of the importance of social activism in medicine and health,” she added.
“Her pioneering efforts continue to inspire and effect change, paving the way for a healthier, more equitable world’’.
Stephanie, who was named Chairperson of the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Best International Feature Film (IFF) category of the Oscars in August 2023, is best known for her 2015 advocacy movie ‘Dry’, which tells the story of a 13-year-old girl whose parents marry her off to a 60-year-old man, with devastating consequences.
Ilebaye’s revelation came just after Phyna had publicly called out the organizers for withholding some of her prizes.
Phyna, who revealed this to Newsmen insinuated that Ilebaye broke the gender code by announcing that she got her full prize money.
She also stressed that she would continue to demand for her balance, stating that she worked hard for the money during the show’s 72-day duration.
“I believe I should at least get what I worked so hard for 72 days. You all suddenly remembered your alert screenshots and IG Live………… Common……one among others is 1BTC which is over 80m in today’s market.
“To those who got their money in full
I’m happy for you. As a poor man’s child, let me ask for my money and other items remaining.,” She added.
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