WHY 'Nollywood' Has to be Renamed to 'Naiwood'

The
controversies
that trailed
Nollywood’s
20-year-
anniversary
are still
not over.
Some of
the stakeholders have continued to question the
name ‘Nollywood’ and the 20 years tag put as the
life span of the now nose-diving industry.
The release of after a movie, Living In Bondage, on
VHS, 20 years ago has changed the face of the
Nigeria movie industry and gave it a big bang.
Many veterans, especially those in the Yoruba
genre, have rejected the claim that the industry is
only 20 years old when the likes of Hubert Ogunde,
Ade Love, Baba Sala and others had been in the
industry as far back in the 50s.
In this regard, a group of progressive members of
the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts
Practitioners (ANTP), led by Yomi Fabiyi, is seeking
renaming of the industry to ‘Naiwood’.
The group claims that this name will truly represent
all the stakeholders, and will be devoid of tribal
dichotomy, which the group said the present
‘Nollywood’ encourages and represents.
In his message to Nigeriafilms, Yomi said:
“If the acronym for their movie industry means they
started two decades ago, perhaps there was no one
producing (movies) amongst them in the last 21
years.
“We inherited film making, we had legendary
filmmakers in Nigeria before then. [We] can't fold
our arms and watch then sweep under the carpet
[the effort of our veterans] with an acronym
(Nollywood).
“That acronym NOLLYWOOD is not acceptable by
us, if it represents 20 years. We've films shot in
Nigeria 60, 50 and 40 years ago on celluloid (the
biggest filming standard in the world before digital
celluloid) irrespective of the quantity then.
“Home video is just another means of distributing
films. In an unjust society where inequality,
tribalism, sentiment is the order of the day,
SILENCE IS A SIN.
“We wish to set the record straight, film making
started in Nigeria 70 years ago.
“NAIJA (Nigeria) is a film, football and oil country.
Nigerian movie industry - NAIWOOD, is the right
name for the right naija film history.
“We the Progressives in ANTP of the movie
industry, irrespective of tribe and religion, wish to
be referred with that acronym henceforth, and we
mean every word of it.
Signed YOMI FABIYI.”