By Segun Adebayo
Veteran actor Francis Duru has lamented what he described as the growing dominance of Yoruba actors and filmmakers in Nollywood, blaming the situation on what he called the failure of his Igbo counterparts to build, protect and promote their own space within the industry.
Duru made the remarks during an interview on Gbam, monitored by Per Second News, where he reflected on the evolution of Nigeria’s film industry and the changing influence of different ethnic groups in Nollywood.
While acknowledging the contributions of Yoruba pioneers to the early development of Nigerian cinema, the actor argued that the home-video revolution that transformed Nollywood in the 1990s and early 2000s was driven largely by Igbo filmmakers, entrepreneurs and investors.
He, however, said the Igbo community had failed to consolidate the gains made during that period, allowing the Yoruba community to build a stronger presence across different aspects of the industry.
According to Duru, the difference lies largely in the way the two communities approach collective development, arguing that Yoruba filmmakers have been more deliberate about supporting their own people and creating opportunities for them.
“The Yorubas epitomise the saying, ‘Charity begins at home.’ We need to learn from them. If you don’t protect and project your own, who will do it?” he said.
Duru also expressed concern over what he described as the limited representation of Igbo culture and heritage on major global streaming platforms, despite the community’s contribution to the growth of Nollywood.
“We [Igbos] created Nollywood, but if you go to Netflix today, you hardly see one movie that speaks of Igbo heritage. But the Yorubas, on the other hand, created opportunities for themselves and utilised them,” he said.
The actor attributed the situation partly to what he described as an individualistic mentality among some Igbo entrepreneurs, saying the emphasis on individual success had come at the expense of collective investment in the industry.
“Igbos failed to learn because of their individualistic mentality. You think you are the big man, so you are self-centred. But you forget that a time will come when you need to be expansive,” Duru said.
He urged Igbo filmmakers, actors and investors to become more strategic and proactive as the entertainment industry continues to evolve, particularly with the growing influence of international streaming platforms.
“You need to be proactive and ask yourself, ‘There is a new market space; why am I not there?’” he said.
Reflecting on the origins of Nollywood, Duru said many of the early investors were businessmen and traders who recognised the commercial potential of filmmaking and mobilised resources to support the emerging industry.
“Most of the persons who pioneered Nollywood were mere traders. So, you created something, and some people saw the gold in it, got together, called their people who have the ‘dough’, and they invested in it. The Yorubas protected their own,” he said.
Rather than criticising Yoruba filmmakers for their growing influence, Duru urged his Igbo colleagues to study the strategies that, in his view, have enabled Yoruba actors, filmmakers and producers to strengthen their position in Nollywood.
“Don’t get angry with them. These are people who saw their own and protected their own. What happened to you? Igbos have many great men in Nigeria,” he said.
Duru also questioned the limited number of major films centred on prominent Igbo personalities and historical figures, despite the wealth of stories available in Igbo history and culture.
“When was the last time you saw the epic of one of these great men? We have great writers who are now writing for the Yorubas,” he asked.
He further criticised what he perceived as the increasing involvement of Yoruba filmmakers in telling Igbo stories, using the film Ahamefuna as an example.
“You even see the Yorubas crossing over to write Igbo stories like Ahamefuna and making a mess of who we are,” Duru said.
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