Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru says the industry’s growth began with Igbo involvement in the early home-video market, which later developed into Nollywood. He argues that Igbo traders were instrumental in creating and expanding what became a major Nigerian film business.
Duru also explains that Yoruba filmmakers now dominate Nollywood. He attributes the shift to differences in organisation and collective support, saying Yoruba filmmakers pooled resources and more deliberately protected and promoted their cultural stories for cinema releases and streaming platforms.
While all outlets report Duru’s core claim—that Nollywood was initially built with Igbo contributions and later became Yoruba-dominated—some stress different historical reference points. One outlet highlights that Yoruba pioneers existed earlier, including Herbert Ogunde in the 1950s, before Duru links Nollywood’s modern rise to Igbo introduction of home video in the 1990s and early 2000s. Another outlet adds Duru’s criticism that Igbo creatives and investors were less proactive and more individualistic, including his view that Igbo heritage is underrepresented on major streaming services such as Netflix.
