Should Nollywood Be Measured With Hollywood Standards? Award-Winning Nigerian Filmmaker Speaks
- Nollywood’s growth and global recognition reignited debates on whether it should be judged by Hollywood’s standards
- Actor Kunle Remi’s comments on Nollywood’s award practices sparked conversations as he compared them to the Oscars recently
- Popular Filmmaker Sunny Okonkwo weighed in on Nollywood’s success and looked at its cultural impact, resilience, and evolution
When conversations arise about the world’s biggest film industries, three names dominate: Hollywood in the United States, Bollywood in India, and Nollywood in Nigeria.
While Hollywood remains the most recognised globally, Nollywood has steadily carved its place, though it is still unfamiliar to audiences in some countries.
Source: Instagram
Nollywood’s modern revival is often traced back to 2009 with the release of The Figurine, a film widely regarded as a turning point for Nigerian cinema.
Since then, the industry has seen a resurgence of cinema culture, culminating in 2025 with Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes, which became Nigeria’s highest-grossing movie to date. For many, this marked Nollywood’s arrival on the global stage.
Recently, Nollywood actor Kunle Remi reignited debate about how the industry is measured when he shared a video of Michael B. Jordan at the Oscars receiving his award plaque engraved immediately after his win.
Remi contrasted this with Nigeria’s prestigious AMVCA awards, where winners often wait to receive their plaques, sparking discussions about professionalism and standards.
In response, award-winning filmmaker Sunny Okonkwo weighed in, cautioning against direct comparisons between Nollywood and Hollywood.
“Comparing Nollywood to Hollywood directly is like comparing two stories written in completely different languages and expecting them to sound the same,” he said.
“Hollywood is an ecosystem built over decades with structured financing, global distribution pipelines, guild systems, and institutional credibility. Nollywood, on the other hand, is a survival-driven storytelling machine. It was built without the luxury of structure, yet it became one of the largest film industries in the world by volume. That is not failure. That is innovation under constraint.”
Okonkwo emphasized that Nollywood’s success should not be judged by how closely it mirrors Hollywood, but by its own unique strengths.
He outlined three key measures: cultural impact, resilience and scale, and evolution in systems and distribution.
“We should not try to become Hollywood. We should build a Nollywood that is so structured, so intentional, and so globally respected that it becomes its own benchmark. Because at the end of the day, storytelling is not about who has the biggest stage. It is about who owns their voice,” he concluded.
Source: Instagram
FG celebrates Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nollywood actresses and filmmakers Toyin Abraham and Funke Akindele have been acknowledged by the federal government through one of its agencies, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC).
On Monday, January 26, the NFC managing director/chief executive, actor Ali Nuhu, in a statement via his official Instagram page, celebrated Funke and Toyin's successes at the box office.
This afterToyin Abraham’s Oversabi Aunty hit ₦1 billion in the cinemas, marking a historic achievement, while Funke Akindele's Behind the Scenes grossed over ₦2 billion.
Source: Legit.ng
