‘Why Yoruba now dominate Nollywood created by Igbos’ – Francis Duru

Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has provided insight into the current dominance of Yorubas in Nigeria's film industry, despite the Igbo people being pioneers in its early stages. He asserts that the Yorubas became dominant due to their better organization and support within the industry. "The Yorubas epitomise the saying, ‘Charity begins at home.’ We need to learn from them," Duru states. "If you don’t protect and project your own, who will do it?"

Duru explains that the Igbo people are the founding fathers of Nollywood, but they failed to secure opportunities for themselves in the industry. He attributes this to the Igbo people's individualistic mentality, which hinders their ability to be proactive and seek out new market spaces. "You think you are the big man, so you are self-centred," he contends. "But you forget that a time will come when you need to be expansive."

According to Duru, the Yorubas capitalized on Nollywood by protecting their own and investing their resources into the industry. "The Yorubas created opportunities for themselves and utilised them," he says. "Most of the pioneers of Nollywood were mere traders who created something and saw others see the potential in it."

Duru acknowledges the talent within the Igbo community and notes that great writers are now writing for the Yorubas. However, he laments the lack of representation of Igbo heritage in contemporary Nollywood productions. "When was the last time you saw the epic of one of these great men?" he asks. "We have great writers who are now writing for the Yorubas. You even see the Yorubas crossing over to write Igbo stories like 'Ahamefuna' and making a mess of who we are."