Nollywood
Nigeria's film industry grew from straight-to-video dramas in the early 1990s into one of the most prolific film industries on Earth, now reaching cinemas and global streaming services.
What Nollywood is
Nollywood is the popular name for the film industry of Nigeria. It is famous for its sheer output: for years it has been counted among the world's largest film industries by number of titles, alongside India. A UNESCO survey published in 2009 ranked Nigeria second in the world for feature film production, behind India and ahead of the United States.
What made Nollywood unusual was its business model. It grew without big studios, government film schools or a large cinema chain. Instead it was built on fast, low-budget productions sold directly to audiences on videotape and later disc.
The home video boom
Nigeria had a lively film culture before Nollywood, including Yoruba travelling theatre troupes, such as that of Hubert Ogunde, who adapted their plays to film from the 1970s. But economic pressures in the 1980s made celluloid filmmaking very expensive, and many cinemas closed.
The turning point most often cited is Living in Bondage (1992), an Igbo-language drama produced by Kenneth Nnebue and released straight to VHS. It sold strongly and showed that a film could be shot cheaply on video and distributed through market traders. Hundreds and then thousands of titles followed.
Typical features of the home video era:
- Shooting schedules of days or weeks, not months.
- Budgets far below Hollywood or Bollywood productions.
- Distribution through markets in Lagos and Onitsha, where traders financed and sold films.
- Stories close to daily life: family conflict, romance, wealth and its temptations, comedy and traditional beliefs.
- Sequels and parts released quickly to meet demand.
Languages and regional industries
Nigeria has hundreds of languages, and its film output reflects that.
| Strand | Main language | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English-language Nollywood | English | The largest share of titles; widest reach across Africa |
| Yoruba films | Yoruba | Rooted in the travelling theatre tradition, centered on the southwest |
| Igbo films | Igbo | Home of early hits such as Living in Bondage |
| Kannywood | Hausa | Based in Kano in the north, with its own stars and musical style |
New Nollywood: cinemas and streaming
From the 2000s, new multiplexes opened in Lagos, Abuja and other cities, and a generation of filmmakers began making bigger-budget films designed for the big screen. This is often called "New Nollywood."
- The Wedding Party (2016), a comedy set around a lavish Lagos wedding, became one of the highest-grossing Nigerian films in local cinemas. Learn how those numbers are counted in our guide to how the box office works.
- Comedies, romantic dramas and crime thrillers have dominated the local box office, often competing well against Hollywood releases.
- Global streaming services began licensing and commissioning Nigerian films and series in the late 2010s. Lionheart (2018), directed by and starring Genevieve Nnaji, was the first Nigerian film acquired by Netflix. Read more on the wider shift in the digital and streaming era.
Streaming has also revived classics: Living in Bondage received a sequel, Living in Bondage: Breaking Free, in 2019.
Why Nollywood matters
Nollywood showed the world a different path to a film industry:
- Demand first. It grew because audiences wanted stories about people like themselves, in their own settings and languages.
- Digital pioneers. It embraced cheap video technology long before Hollywood switched to digital cameras.
- Continental reach. Nigerian films are watched across Africa and by diaspora audiences in the UK, North America and the Caribbean, shaping fashion, music and slang.
- Talent pipeline. Directors, actors and crews trained on fast productions are now working on international co-productions.
The Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, launched in 2013, are among the best-known awards for Nigerian and African screen work.
Where to start
Try The Wedding Party for comedy, Lionheart for a warm family business story, and an older home video classic for a taste of the era that built the industry. Then compare its business model with Bollywood, the other giant of global film output.
