‘Yoruba Did Not Start Nollywood’ – Actor Nkem Owoh

Nollywood Actor, Nkem Owoh Veteran actor, Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has clarified that Yoruba people started home video in Nigeria and not Nollywood.

Naija News reports that Owoh made the clarification during an appearance on Curiosity Made Me Ask, hosted by Nigerian skit maker cum content creator, Adebayo Abidemi, popularly known as Bae U.

Osuofia explained that the name Nollywood did not exist when he and other filmmakers began making films, stressing that it was adopted later after discussions among those involved in the industry.

He credited Yoruba filmmakers, including veteran filmmaker, Hubert Ogunde, for starting the home-video tradition and helping make it popular.

He maintained that his position about Nollywood had been misunderstood, adding that his claim was about home video and not the creation of Nollywood.

He said, “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.”

Meanwhile, Nkem Owoh recently spoke on how his fame as a comic actor sometimes affects how people treat him in real life, even during serious moments.

According to him, many people are already used to seeing him as a funny character, so they tend to react with laughter even when he is not trying to be funny.

He recalled a situation at a gathering where he was asked to lead a prayer.

As soon as he started the prayer, beginning with words that call on God, some people could not hold back their laughter.

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