# History of Nollywood

> Nollywood, Nigeria's video-led film industry, is popularly dated to the 1992 direct-to-video hit Living in Bondage, though critics document earlier Yoruba-language cinema and home video from the 1960s–80s. A New York Times reporter coined the name in 2002. Industry-size comparisons citing UNESCO data are frequently overstated; the underlying 2006 figures measured classified productions, not equivalent cinema releases.

**Category:** Music & Film · **Updated:** 2026-07-26 19:36:35 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/history-of-nollywood

## Key facts
- **Popular founding film:** Living in Bondage (1992), dir. Chris Obi Rapu
- **Earlier predecessors cited by critics:** Hubert Ogunde and Baba Sala cinema (1960s–80s); Alade Aromire home video (from 1982)
- **Name coined:** 2002, by New York Times reporter Norimitsu Onishi
- **Regulator:** National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), established 1993
- **2006 UNESCO Institute for Statistics figure:** 872 Nigerian video productions classified, vs 1,091 in India and 485 in the US
- **Measurement caveat:** UNESCO figure counted classified video works, not equivalent theatrical releases — comparison contested by researchers
- **Major streaming milestone:** Lionheart (2018), first Nigerian Netflix Original film

## Sources
- Nigeria surpasses Hollywood as world's second largest film producer – UN — UN News (https://news.un.org/en/story/2009/05/299102-nigeria-surpasses-hollywood-worlds-second-largest-film-producer-un)
- Hooray for Nollywood? Nigeria isn't the world's second-biggest film industry after all — The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/hooray-for-nollywood-nigeria-isnt-the-worlds-second-biggest-film-industry-after-all-25527)
- Film And Video Work Censorship And Classification In Nigeria — Mondaq (https://www.mondaq.com/nigeria/broadcasting-film-tv-radio/1292180/film-and-video-work-censorship-and-classification-in-nigeria)
- Living in Bondage as origin of Nollywood is a fraud — Punch Nigeria (https://punchng.com/living-in-bondage-as-origin-of-nollywood-is-a-fraud/)
- Living in Bondage: How 1992 classic changed Nollywood's story — Pulse Nigeria (https://www.pulse.ng/story/living-in-bondage-how-1992-classic-changed-nollywoods-story-2024081817221200294)
- Big Ticket Nollywood: Leading The Charge In African Cinema — Forbes Africa (https://www.forbesafrica.com/cover-story/2024/08/19/big-ticket-nollywood-leading-the-charge-in-african-cinema/)
- FLASHBACK: How Nollywood got its name — The Cable (Lagos) (https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/how-nollywood-got-its-name/)

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