Media personality, Chude Jideonwo claims that the country’s biggest filmmakers predominantly hail from the Yoruba-speaking part of Nigeria.
Jideonwo made this assertion in a recent Instagram post while reflecting on the influence of Yoruba filmmakers in Nollywood.
Citing notable names such as Toyin Abraham, Kemi Adetiba, Funke Akindele, Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan, and Femi Adebayo, Jideonwo argued that these filmmakers have significantly shaped the landscape of Nigerian cinema.
He emphasized that Yoruba-led films dominate global streaming platforms like Netflix, further solidifying their influence.
“The Yoruba filmmakers are the biggest in the industry,” Jideonwo remarked, highlighting the prominence of their work on streaming platforms.
He noted that while the Yoruba filmmakers have maintained a strong presence internationally, films produced in Hausa and Igbo languages have been notably scarce on these platforms.
“The biggest filmmakers in Nigeria now are all Yorubas. Think about it: Kemi Adetiba, Jade Osiberu, Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan, Kayode Kasum, Toyin Abraham, Funke Akindele, Mercy Aigbe and Oga Bello’s son that do every movie, including ‘Beast of Two Worlds’ and ‘Jagun Jagun’—and Bolanle Austin-Peters.
“Think about it: most of the mainstream, big cinema, and streaming movies are all by Yoruba people. What has happened is that the Yoruba filming culture has merged itself into the other groups that are leading again.
“Can you name one Hausa or Igbo-language movie on Netflix or Amazon? The closest was Genevieve’s ‘Lionheart’ many years ago. Only Yoruba movies are able to exist on Amazon, Netflix and become mainstream cultural hits.”
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