Sowing for the reapers: The Igbo, the Nigerian project and Nollywood harvests

Abstract

Nigerian film industry dominated by Nollywood films is a major employer of labour and foreign exchange earner in Nigeria. Historical review and  developmental trends of Nollywood reveal the Igbo nation as a major contributor and sowers of the seminal seeds of Nollywood being harvested at  present by the nation and her citizenry. However, the problem of this study is that today, like most Nigerian projects; the Sowers (the Igbo) are few among  the reapers of Nollywood harvests. Unfortunately, this monkey dey work, baboon dey chop trend appears to cut across some other sectors of the  Nigerian economy where some people toil and others enjoy. The aim of this study is to assess the contributions of the Igbo to the Nollywood  industry as a major aspect of the Nigerian project and evaluate how the Igbo nation and other Nigerians are benefiting from it presently. The main  objectives of the study include to ascertain why the Igbo is now at the periphery of the Nigerian project and conspicuously missing among the reapers of  the harvests of the Nigerian project, despite immense contributions made to this project by the unfortunate Igbo race. The study therefore reviewed the  evolution of Nollywood industry and the contributions of the Igbo as well as the consequent displacement of the Igbo by later entrants/reapers.  Qualitative research method was adopted; while the findings concluded that the Igbo contributed a lot to the Nigerian project but unfortunately they  have been displaced by other nationalities with unhindered access to government hence they now reap where they did not sow.