Nigerian Movies Provide A Better Image For Nigeria
Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
by Mar Frank
African Side
Well, it might be bigoted to typecast a complete country in bad light thanks to the indiscretions of some individuals. Each country has its criminal elements. Fortunately, it isn't all gloom and doom from Nigeria. Nigerian Movies are changing the countries perception globally.
Nigerian movies are one of the country's most recognizable exports today especially to other countries across Africa. The industry has helped to bring out the formidable though sometimes less talked positive business drive of Nigeria. There is more to the country than 419' scams and the struggle for oil revenue at the Niger delta.
The beginning of the Nigerian movie or picture making industry can be traced back to the 1960's round about the time many African states were getting autonomy. However, the price of production and access to quality equipment proved to be major obstacles at the time. Towards the 1980s, the govt. of Nigeria compounded and implemented policy that made sure a ton more local content was on air on Nigerian TV stations versus American content and other foreign TV productions. This was a major step as it inspired local production to grow.
Many analysts of the Nigerian movie industry (or Nollywood as it is sometimes known) point the turning point of the country's film making industry to the early 90s when the film Living in Bondage' was released. From here on out, it was uphill as a powerful distribution network developed. The ease of availability of cheap film making equipment gave additional momentum and before long, the industry was booming.
Nigerian movies and the Nigerian film making industry as a whole are estimated to generate anywhere between USD 250 million and USD 500 million each year. The number of movies produced each year range from 1,000 and 2000. Statistically, other than United States and India, no other county has such a large film making industry. Nollywood has the added benefit of tapping into an actors' and actresses' market that is not as expensive when compared to the average cost of a top-level actor or actress in Hollywood.
The demand for Nigerian movies in the continent of Africa has been enormous and has generated a fanatic following even among non-Nigerians across the continent. Inroads into wealthier markets like Europe and the U. S. have not been as successful. The films mostly still appeal to the average African resident that can relate to the localized movie storyline.
The African market can sometimes prove daunting when it comes to logistics. Poor infrastructure, expensive costs of communication and widespread piracy can easily cripple even the best-planned movie distribution network. Producers of Nigerian movies have mastered how to best use the continent's system to their advantage and reap a tidy profit as a result.
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