Nollywood movie producers produced a total of 1,051 movies in the first six months of 2021, 1.7% higher than movies produced in the corresponding period of 2020. This is according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This figure makes up the total number of movies produced in the first and second quarters of the year. In Q1 2021, the Nigerian movie industry produced a total of 416 movies, 2.2% higher than movies produced in Q1 2020 (407).
The industry produced the highest number of movies in Lagos (149), followed closely by Onitsha (140) and Abuja (107) in the first quarter of the year.
In Q2 2021 however, 635 movies were produced, 9 movies more than what was produced in the corresponding period of 2020 (626). Some of the movies produced during the period include; Prophetess, Breaded Life, Ayinla, and so on.
Lagos held the highest number of movies produced during the quarter at 234 movies. 196 movies were produced in Abuja and 174 movies in Onitsha.
The Nigerian film industry has recorded an improvement in the volume of productions over the years. The cinematic culture of Nigerians, that is wanting to express and spread our diverse cultures through film, has encouraged more movie productions, so much so that movie production has grown 477% within three years, from 2017 to 2020.
The cursory analysis of the data on Nollywood movie production revealed that only 450 movies were produced in 2017, compared to 2,599 movies produced in 2020, reflecting the growth of the film industry.
Nigeria’s largest cinema chain, Filmhouse, in its first-quarter analysis of box office information, stated that despite the absence of Hollywood blockbusters and seating capacity restrictions in the country, the Nigerian box office performed relatively better in 2021 than 2020.
This shows the resilience and strong recovery potential of the Nigerian film industry, even amid the covid-19 restrictions and economic downturn.
In addition, they said despite the 45% market share that Lagos cinemas represent, in the first quarter of 2021, Funke Akindele’s blockbuster movie, ‘Omo Ghetto,’ accounted for 48% of revenues and 47% of attendance in Nigerian cinemas.
With all these statistics Lagos state will not bulge to invest or create incentives for the sector, yet they want to rake in taxes on all fronts.