Nollywood, our Nollywood, Africa’s largest film industry, has grown exponentially since its inception, now standing as a powerhouse of creativity and cultural expression. Renowned for its prolific output, According to research by Northwestern University, Nollywood produces over 2,500 movies a year, making it the second largest film industry after Bollywood, surpassing even Hollywood in sheer volume. This vibrant industry, rooted in Nigeria, has become a cultural juggernaut, influencing and reflecting the lives of millions. Despite its impressive growth, Nollywood’s potential for global impact remains largely untapped, unlike its music industry counterpart.
The global conquest of Afrobeats is a testament to the power of African creativity, with artists like Wizkid, who became the first Nigerian artiste to land on Billboard’s Hot 100, to Burna Boy’s African Giant album getting a nomination in 2019 at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020 through a nomination for Best World Music Album. Afrobeats has continued to expand its tentacles, highlighting more stars like Davido, Arya Star, Tems and so many other great Nigerian artists.
However, for Nollywood to compete in terms of revenue, releases and popularity, it demands a lot of work from practitioners within the space.
To achieve this, Nollywood must collaborate with other film industries.
Nollywood’s collaboration with international film industries has a rich history, dating back to the 1990s. The comedy Osuofia in London (1997) was a pioneer in showcasing Nollywood’s unique storytelling style to a global audience.
Collaborations should be transparent from all perspectives. When Action Xtreme, a company based in the United Kingdom came to Nigeria for a production, they encountered a lot of challenges including price gouging due to the colour of their skin, and a general lack of structure that makes it difficult for foreign companies to find easy production pipelines in the country. Luckily, production was made considerably easier when they met Boxonia Blueprint, a Lagos based company, which brought in structure, transparency, as well as experienced hands to fully actualize the project’s potential.
To maximize the impact of these collaborations, Nollywood can explore various avenues including but not limited to:
Co-Production Treaties: Advocate for co-production treaties between Nigeria and other industries to facilitate collaborations. An example of a treaty is tapping into the growing Nollywood YoutTube market. Nollywood Youtube is seeing a distinct amount of views with the highest channels amounting to at least 3-5 million views per month on each film, these types of films are viewed from numerous parts of the world including European, Asian and other African countries. Nollywood producers can go to such territories where these films are most viewed to showcase and form co-production treaties. However, it is important to note that data on the rise of Nollywood YouTube is difficult to access.
Establish Offices: Establish Nollywood representation in Hollywood to facilitate connections and collaborations.
Government Initiatives and partnerships: Leverage government-backed initiatives like the Nigerian Film Corporation’s international collaboration programs.
Cultural exchange programs: Exchange programs where industries can participate in cultural immersion programs to learn about each industry’s rich heritage, music, art, literature, and film history, which can bore interests for adaptations. By learning from each other’s cultural perspectives, filmmakers can develop more nuanced, diverse, and authentic stories, breaking down cultural barriers and stereotypes.
Establishment of international distribution networks
International distribution networks can be established to expand the reach of Nollywood films, Increase its global presence and recognition and reach new audiences and markets.
Establishing international distribution networks is a crucial step for Nollywood’s global growth. To achieve this, market research is essential to identify target markets, audiences, and distribution channels.
Forming partnerships with international distributors in Hollywood, Bollywood, and other film industries can help expand Nollywood’s reach.
Leveraging digital technologies can facilitate global distribution, reducing barriers and increasing accessibility. Localizing content by dubbing or subtitling films in multiple languages can cater to diverse audiences worldwide.
By maximizing these collaborations, Nollywood can solidify its position as a significant player in the global film industry, enhance its global reputation and influence, access new markets and revenue streams, develop innovative storytelling and production techniques, and showcase African perspectives and talent to a broader audience. The possibilities are endless, and the future of Nollywood looks brighter than ever.Invest in high- quality production.
Investing in scale productions is a game-changer for Nollywood, leading to higher quality films that resonate with global audiences. By boosting production values, Nollywood can create films that rival international standards, garnering global recognition and acclaim.
Scale productions also translate to increased revenue, as high-quality films attract more viewers and generate more income through box office sales, streaming, and distribution deals. Moreover, these productions create more job opportunities for cast and crew members, stimulating the local economy and promoting cultural exchange.
Successful examples of scale productions in Nollywood include The Black Book, King of Boys, Lionheart, which have raised the bar for quality and storytelling. The quality of our productions and stories in general are directly linked to the level of funding and acquisitions from popular platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney, Hulu, etc.
Some might deem it hypocritical if one mentions large scale productions and ignores screenwriting, which most agree is the number one problem faced by recent Nollywood productions. As much as deep training and talent exchange programs are relevant, there exist bigger challenges in that talent may be trained to excel, but if these talents are not given creative leeway to express themselves, the overall story quality in the industry will continue to suffer. Nollywood should transition from scripting rigid storylines to embracing the writing room culture.
Some of the ways Nollywood can get ahead of its storytelling problem are:
Give creatives a great deal of control during story development
The good ol’ saying that good writing takes time is in fact absolutely true. Good writing takes time, experience and funding. Stories evolve and the editing process never stops.
An average writer in Nollywood barely earns enough to cross the financial hurdles the country poses.
Nollywood should imbibe the culture of creating room on set for writers. This helps because truly, a creator knows how to tweak her story best. With the heavy hours pulled on set, it is not far fetched that the director and team may not always be in the right headspace to make writing decisions, therefore, having a writer on set helps to have a dedicated person on the script when the director or producer has to make a creative or production call.
Develop authentic And diverse content
Developing diverse and authentic content is a crucial step in Nollywood’s journey to global success. By drawing from Africa’s rich cultural heritage, folklore, and history, Nollywood can create unique and compelling stories that resonate with audiences worldwide.
Showcasing the diversity of African cultures, traditions, and lifestyles is essential, avoiding stereotypes and tropes that have historically misrepresented the continent. Authentic characters, complex and relatable, should be developed to reflect African experiences, struggles, and triumphs. We should avoid the trope of making the same genre and style of films just because other filmmakers have succeeded at them, diversity is where it is at. Africa is blessed with numerous diverse stories that reflect different backgrounds.
Sharing African perspectives on global issues offers fresh insights and perspectives, while experimenting with various genres caters to different tastes. Collaborations with international partners foster cross-cultural exchange and global appeal.
Investing in strategic and robust marketing strategies
Investing in strategic and robust marketing strategies is a vital step in Nollywood’s journey to global recognition. To achieve this, it’s essential to conduct thorough market research to understand the target audience, their preferences, and viewing habits.
Marketing strategies should also be developed for both local and international territories, highlighting Nollywood’s unique value propositions.
An example of successful marketing experienced in Nollywood in recent times was during the promotion of Funke Akindele’s A Tribe of Judah which tapped into online dancing content, merchandise and star power. Nora Awolowo’s Red Circle promotion also deserves a good mention. Nollywood, however, needs more experiential marketing solutions that can cross from physical to social media. Understandably, the question Nigerian filmmakers have continued to ask is “how do we make great experiential marketing when the budget is not even enough to shoot films”. A good response to this is the recent marketing gimmick by Brandon Chicotsy called the ‘Bald Logo’, which has brand logos tattooed on the heads of various bald men as a billboard for businesses. The ‘Orange Men’ advertising campaign by Pepsi introducing Miranda in 1995 is one that has stuck to the memory of many. Sometimes as filmmakers, the question to ask might be “what is the best use of my limited funds that will evoke certain levels of emotions in people”. Timeless ideas like Pepsi’s Orange men would yet enjoy widespread reach on Social media today.
Encourage private and government support
Private investors could fund the development of state-of-the-art film studios in Nigeria, equipped with cutting-edge technology and facilities.
Encouraging government support is a vital step in fostering the growth of Nollywood. To achieve this, it’s essential to lobby for policies and initiatives that benefit the industry. One key aspect is advocating for tax incentives, such as tax breaks or rebates, to attract local and international investments in film productions. Rebates on films are some of the great ways to incentivise both Nigerian and international filmmakers to flood the Nigerian film market, some countries with the best rebates include:
Australia, which offers 16.5% tax rebate for production of large budget film and television projects, 30% tax rebate for post-production, digital and visual effects (PDV Offset), regardless of where the project is shot.
China offers 40% cash rebate, plus 10% business tax rebate of qualifying production expenditures in China’s Qingdao Region.
The Dominican Republic offers 25% transferable tax credit on all development, pre-production, production and post-production expenses incurred in the country. And Ireland offers up to 37% tax credit on eligible production, post-production and/or VFX expenses for local and International cast and crew, and goods and services.
So many countries are putting more respect in their creative industries and Nigeria ought to do the same. However, credit must be given to Fegho Umunubo – SA to the President of Nigeria (Vice President’s Office) on Digital and Creative Economy, whose office has recently announced a partnership with Providus bank to disburse a five billion Naira loan to the entertainment industry. Great as this may sound however, the industry is not in a phase for loans, instead the industry is currently in its grant phase.
To scale the industry to sustainable height, grants should be given to different sets of filmmakers on various levels to break out. Of what use are these loans when our distribution channels are yet unstable? Perhaps there exist more pressing problems deserving of solutions.
Again instead of loans, grants for ambitious filmmaking and building of distribution channels should be given, along with a team of board members who understand the industry well enough to monitor the use of these funds.
Government support for training and capacity-building programs, as well as negotiating trade agreements and organizing film tourism can enhance the skills of industry professionals as well as opening up Nollywood to more partnerships and collaborations from other industries.
While Afrobeats has successfully transcended geographical boundaries and achieved international acclaim, Nollywood faces distinct challenges, such as high production costs and distribution limitations, yet both share a common thread in their struggles for adequate representation and monetization in the global entertainment landscape.
The trajectory of Nigeria’s biggest export which is Afrobeats, and Nollywood serves as a testament to the boundless potential of African cultural expression. As filmmakers continue to push the boundaries of creativity, innovation, and global appeal, it is clear that African culture is not just a reflection of heritage, but a driving force of the future. The next frontier of African cultural dominance is here, and it’s time to embrace it with pride, passion, and a commitment to excellence. Nollywood should celebrate its achievements, learn from challenges, and forge a path that solidifies Africa’s position as a cultural powerhouse in the global landscape.