The history of cinema in Nigeria dates back to as early as the
history of film itself; notably in the late 19th century, with the use of
peephole viewing of motion picture devices. In that year,
Herbert Macaulay had invited to Nigeria, the
Balboa and Company,
Spain to organize an exhibition tour of
silent films in Nigeria. Although Mr Balboa later closed his exhibition in Lagos, while he continued showing films in other
West African countries, the success of his exhibition led to a European merchant, Stanley Jones, to begin showing films in the same Glover Memorial Hall, starting from November 1903. This brought about the influx of more European film exhibitors to Nigeria.
Colonial era (late 19th century - early 1960s) Colonial filmmakers started producing films for local audiences within Nigeria since the 1920s, mostly employing the
mobile cinema as a means of exhibition; the earliest feature film made in Nigeria is 1926's
Palaver produced by
Geoffrey Barkas. The film was also the first film ever to feature Nigerian actors in a speaking role. As of 1921, there were four other halls showing films twice a week in
Lagos Mainland and one hall each in
Ebute Metta and
Oshodi. By this time, cinema had become popular in Lagos with crowds of young and old people usually waiting at the doors of theatre halls. Religion also aided in the expansion of cinema culture as the Christian missionaries used cinemas for religious propaganda. However, there came a significant influx of American, Indian, Chinese and Japanese films; posters of films from these countries were all over theatre halls and actors from these industries became very popular in Nigeria. Towards the late 1960s and into the 1970s Nigerian productions in movie houses increased gradually, especially productions from Western Nigeria, owing to former
theatre practitioners such as
Hubert Ogunde,
Ola Balogun,
Moses Olaiya,
Jab Adu, Isola Ogunsola,
Ladi Ladebo, Sanya Dosumu and Sadiq Balewa amongst others, transitioning into the big screen. In 1972, concerned about the influx of foreign culture into Nigeria, the
Indigenization Decree was issued by the then head of state
Yakubu Gowon; which demands the transfer of ownership of about a total of 300 film theatres in the country from their foreign owners to Nigerians. Also, more Nigerians started playing active roles in cinema establishment as a result of this policy. This transfer also resulted in the emergence of Nigerian playwrights, screenwriters and film producers; popular literature and theatre works were adapted into motion pictures. At this time cinema business had become a notable employer of many people and also served as an important social function, as Nigerians visited cinemas for relaxation and entertainment purposes. The increased purchasing power in Nigeria also made a wide range of citizens to have
disposable income to spend on cinema-going and on home television sets.
Piracy boom (late 1980s - mid 2010s) The emergence of the video film market in Nigeria is traced back to the 1980s when
television productions thrived. Jimi Odumosu's
Evil Encounter, a 1983
horror film released directly on television, was the first production to be a pointer to how lucrative making film directly on video could be. The film was extensively promoted before being aired on television, and as a result, had streets flooded in the following morning with video copies of the recorded broadcast. It was reported that the film became an instant hit at
Alaba market, a commercial district which later became the hub of video distribution in this period and also eventually became the hub of
piracy in Nigeria. Since
Evil Encounter, it became common, especially in Southern Nigerian cities, to see video copies of recorded television programmes traded on the streets. However, the boom experienced in this era is generally believed to have been kickstarted by
Kenneth Nnebue's Living in Bondage (1992). Nnebue had an excess number of imported video cassettes which he then used to shoot his first film on a Video camera. Although
Living in Bondage is often touted in the media as the "first commercial video film", several historians have argued that the video film industry was already booming before
Living in Bondage. As of 2004, at least four to five films were produced every day in Nigeria. Nigerian movies had also already dominated television screens across the African continent and by extension, the diaspora. This was attributed to the fact that Nigerian films told "relatable" stories, which made foreign films to "gather dust" on the shelves of video stores, even though they cost much less. According to the
Filmmakers Cooperative of Nigeria, every film in Nigeria had a potential audience of 15 million people in Nigeria and about 5 million outside Nigeria. In no time, the industry became the third largest producer of films in the world. However, this didn't translate to an overtly commercial film industry when compared to other major film hubs across the world; the worth of the industry was approximated at just about US$250 million, since most of the films produced were cheaply made. The film industry regardless became a major employer in Nigeria. As of 2007, with a total number of 6,841 registered video parlours and an estimated 500,000 unregistered ones, the estimated revenue generated by sales and rentals of movies in
Lagos State alone was estimated to be ₦804 million (US$5 million) per week, which adds up to an estimated ₦33.5 billion (US$209 million) revenue for Lagos State per annum. Approximately 700,000 discs were sold in
Alaba market per day, with the total sales revenue generated by the film industry in Nigeria estimated at ₦522 billion (US$3 billion) per annum, with
broadcast content valued at ₦250 billion (US$1.6 billion). At the peak of the video era at around 2008, the industry had become the second largest producer of films, releasing approximately 200 video films monthly. However at this point, the Nigerian film industry had practically degenerated into a "visionless" industry, with the invasion of several people who did not know a thing about filmmaking, and
piracy was at its peak. Dealing with the menace of piracy, amongst other problems, became a hard nut to crack; as a result of this, most investors of the "
Alaba cartel", who control almost 90 percent stakes in the video industry, began to channel their money into other business ventures instead. The decline of the home video era has been attributed to several factors, such as the refusal of the Government to provide support and funding, the lack of a formal and effective indigenous film distribution infrastructure and the increase in the cost of production in Nigeria.
New Nigerian Cinema (mid 2000s - present) This is an emerging phase in Nigerian cinema, in which there became a major shift in the method of film production, from the video format, back to the cinema method, which constituted the films produced in the Golden era. A few years into the 21st century, Nigeria began to experience the growth of cinemas, which was initially structured for the
middle and upper classes.
The Silverbird Group is the first company to launch a series of modern cinema houses across major cities in Nigeria, mostly situated in affluent areas and districts. Several grants have been launched by the Nigerian Government, in order to support quality content in Nigerian films. In 2006, "Project Nollywood" was launched by the Nigerian Government, in conjunction with
Ecobank. The project provided ₦100 million (US$781,000) to Nigerian filmmakers to produce high quality films and to fund a multimillion Naira distribution network across the country during this period. In 2013, a smaller new grant of ₦3 billion (US$20 million) was awarded once again solely for Nollywood, and specifically for the production of high quality films, and to sponsor filmmakers for formal training in film schools. Also in 2015, Bank of Industry launched another "NollyFund" program for the purpose of giving financial support in form of loans to film producers. The popular 2009 thriller film
The Figurine is generally considered the game changer, which heightened the media attention towards the "
New Nigerian Cinema" revolution. The film was a critical and commercial success in Nigeria, and it was also screened in international film festivals By 2016, this record was held by
The Wedding Party, a film by
Kemi Adetiba. By the end of 2013, the film industry reportedly hit a record breaking revenue of ₦1.72 trillion (US$11 billion). As of 2014, the industry was worth ₦853.9 billion (
US$5.1 billion) making it the third most valuable film industry in the world, behind the
United States and
India. It contributed about 1.4% to Nigeria's economy; this was attributed to the increase in the number of quality films produced and more formal distribution methods. Unlike the home video era, films in the new wave are generally of much improved quality, with considerably bigger budgets; averaging between ₦40 million (US$250,000) and ₦120 million ($750,000). These films' production periods take months and even span into years, a far cry from the films in video format which are usually shot in a matter of days or weeks. Other notable improvements in the New Nollywood include: more subtle performances from actors; different from the overt melodrama which constituted the video era, more practical, more logical and generally better stories. Themes explored in these films are often characterized by consciously cosmopolitan themes, as most of the filmmakers are relatively young. A proper copyright and distribution system still remains one of the major challenges in the New Nigerian Cinema. In the
2023 Sundance Film Festival, the Nigerian film
Mami Wata, directed by
C.J. Obasi won the Special Jury Award for Cinematography. The animated short film "Morèmi" by Lagosian Shof Coker was included in the anthology "
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire" by Disney+ in 2023. "Morèmi" follows the ghost boy Luo, who is trapped in the realm of the gods and haunted by giants. When he is rescued by a scientist from future Nigeria, Luo connects with his lost memories and learns of the sacrifice once made to save his people. The comedy has since surpassed
Wedding Party I and II, is (as of August 2023) the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time, and has received critical acclaim. This is the first Nigerian non-
arthouse film to screen in US box offices. According to Film One Entertainment, the lead film studio, "Battle" is the first ever film of its kind in the US. Its controlled release in 11
Regal theatres with reduced screenings resulted in sold-out screenings nationwide. Film One adds that it is the first ever indigenous Nollywood release in the United States. "Buka" are (in
Yoruba and
Hausa) gastronomic street vendors. ==Influx of Ghanaian actors==