Veteran actor Nkem Owoh, also known as Osuofia, has denied reports that Yoruba people established Nollywood saying his statements were about the genesis of home video in Nigeria.
Osuofia said the name Nollywood was not in existence when he and other film makers started making films.
He added that the name was selected after some talks among the people engaged in the industry.
I never claimed Yoruba started Nollywood.
Nollywood came to limelight in 1992.
“We didn’t have Nollywood as a name when we started making films,” he remarked.
He gave credit to Yoruba filmmakers, especially veteran filmmaker Hubert Ogunde, for establishing the home-video culture and helping to popularise it.
Ogunde isn’t an Igbo. “I am telling you it was Yoruba who started it,” Owoh claimed.
He insisted that his perspective was misinterpreted, adding that his argument was about home video and not about creating Nollywood.
“Yoruba didn’t start Nollywood, they started home video and the rest,” he added.
Thanks for reading: ‘Yoruba didn’t create Nollywood’ – Osuofia puts record straight on film history