Mo Abudu Wants New Name for Nigerian Film Industry 

Abudu feels offended that the name “Nollywood” has a history associated with “a bad genre of filmmaking.”

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

Mo Abudu, a Nigerian director, is not a fan of the country’s film industry, dubbed ‘Nollywood’ in its present incarnation.

The EbonyLife TV chief has produced high-profile films such as Fifty, The Wedding Party, and Oloture, but she would rather that they not be referred to as Nollywood films since she dislikes the term’s history.

This was said by the media mogul in a Deadline interview with African-American Hollywood actor Idris Elba, with whom she had struck a co-production contract.

“Do you know the history behind the word? A Canadian journalist came to Nigeria and decided that he was going to give us the name Nollywood, and that was it. It’s stuck since then.

“I hate the word Nollywood. The term Nollywood itself is a bad genre of filmmaking. We all know what Nollywood is supposed to represent — it’s the VHS films that were made back in the day.

“So, to still be called Nollywood, for me, is a no. We need to use terms like African filmmakers or Nigerian filmmakers,” she said.

Abudu also told Deadline that EbonyLife TV is collaborating with Elba’s Green Door Pictures because she is obsessed with taking the Nigerian film industry worldwide.

She emphasized the importance of working with someone who is familiar with African filmmakers and is dedicated to bringing African cinema to the world scene.

“I have an obsession with making a big blockbuster that the world is going to see, but putting things into context for Africa, we don’t have the budget,” she said.

The 58-year-old said that her collaboration with Elba would aid in the expansion of Nollywood’s local initiatives, earnings, and profits.