Nollywood Was Not In Existence When We Started Filmmaking – Nkem Owoh

Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has clarified his position on the origins of Nigeria’s home video industry, insisting that Yoruba filmmakers pioneered home video production before the name Nollywood became widely recognised.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Owoh made the clarification during an appearance on Curiosity Made Me Ask, a programme hosted by Nigerian comedian and content creator Adebayo Abidemi, popularly known as Bae U.

The veteran actor explained that the term Nollywood was not in existence when he and other filmmakers began producing movies. He noted that the name was introduced much later following discussions among people involved in the Nigerian film industry.

Owoh credited Yoruba filmmakers, particularly veteran filmmaker Hubert Ogunde, for laying the foundation for the home video tradition and helping to popularise it in the country.

He, however, stressed that his comments had been misunderstood, explaining that he was not claiming Yoruba people created Nollywood but that they pioneered the home video format.

“I never said Yoruba started Nollywood. When did Nollywood come out? When we started film, there was no Nollywood as a name. Ogunde is not Igbo. I am not telling you that Yoruba started it. Yoruba did not start Nollywood; they started home video and the rest,” he said.

Meanwhile, Owoh recently spoke about how his reputation as a comic actor sometimes affects the way people respond to him in real-life situations, including serious occasions.

The actor explained that many people have become accustomed to seeing him in humorous roles, making it difficult for them to take him seriously even when he is not deliberately trying to make anyone laugh.

He recalled an incident at a gathering where he was asked to lead a prayer. According to him, some of the attendees burst into laughter shortly after he began praying and calling on God.

The experience, he suggested, reflects how strongly his comic screen personality has influenced the way people perceive him outside the entertainment industry.