Woli Arole, Nigerian comedian and actor, has criticised his colleague, Aisha Lawal, for her statements about who owns Nollywood.
According to Citi News, the filmmaker stated in a recent interview with Tribune that the Yorubas owned Nollywood because they founded it.
She stated:
“We own the industry. Go yback to research. The industry belongs to the Yoruba people. If you go back to research, you will hear from people like Hubert Ogunde and Ade Love. I don’t want to go into details. But, it you go and research very well, you will discover that Yorubas own this industry, we started this industry. We messed up at some point, but we are not playing catch-up. We are there already. Now, everybody wants to shoot a Yoruba movie.”
In response, Woli Arole stated that Nollywood is more than a tribe’s property, emphasising that the film industry’s growth is a collaborative endeavour.
The skitmaker stated that renowned actors such as Sam Loco Efe, Nkem Owoh, and Nothern cinema legends will not be forgotten.
Arole went on to say that Nollywood is a collective effort, and that the Igbos have done an outstanding job in the industry.
“Yoruba were part of the major origins of filmmaking in Nigeria,” he stated in a blog comment. Look up Hubert Ogunde.
“Nollywood is beyond being owned by a tribe the growth became a collective effort, we can’t take away the Sam loco Efe, Osufia, even northern actors and actresses from it.
“The Igbos too did an awesome job in that industry. It’s a collective building.”
