Nkem Owoh, the veteran Nollywood actor popularly known as Osuofia, says Yoruba filmmakers pioneered home-video productions in Nigeria, clarifying that they did not start Nollywood as an industry.
The actor made the clarification during a recent appearance on ‘Curiosity Made Me Ask’, where he addressed the controversy surrounding his earlier comments that Yoruba people, rather than Igbos, founded Nollywood.
Owoh rejected the interpretation of his remarks, explaining that the industry existed before the name Nollywood was adopted.
“First of all, you have given me this wrong accusation that I said Yoruba started Nollywood. No. Yoruba started this film on… when did Nollywood come out? When we started the thing, there was no Nollywood as a name,” he said.
He explained that filmmakers initially came together to exchange ideas on developing the industry before eventually settling on the name Nollywood.
“We sat together, and we were brainstorming, you know, ideas and all that, how the thing is going to come to fruition. And eventually, we chose Nollywood,” he added.
The actor, however, maintained that Yoruba filmmakers played a significant role in popularising home-video productions in the country.
“So, Yoruba started the thing. They made the thing very popular on home video and all that. Yes, they did. And I’ve said it several times. Okay. Ogunde and Adebayo Papa. These are the people I love to watch their thing.”
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