Nigerian Nollywood
Nollywood is Nigeria's prolific film industry, one of the largest in the world by output, producing thousands of films each year in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and other languages. It emerged from local enterprise and has become a major cultural export across Africa and the diaspora. Nollywood transmits language, social commentary and storytelling at scale, and illustrates how a contemporary creative industry can become a vehicle for cultural continuity and national visibility without heavy state investment.
Explanation
Nollywood films are produced quickly and distributed through cinemas, streaming and direct-to-video, addressing social themes in local languages.
Origin & History
Nollywood emerged in the 1990s from Nigerian video film production and grew into a major industry.
Why It Matters
Nollywood shows how a contemporary creative industry can transmit culture and language at scale.
Living Practice Today
Nollywood produces thousands of films yearly and reaches audiences across Africa and the global diaspora.
Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board; National Film Institute.
