Nigeria: Are Nigerians Only Interested in Nollywood Comedy Films?

9 April 2021

A common comment passed by cinema exhibitors in Nigeria at conferences and webinars is that the Nigerian audience favours more comedy flicks than any other genre. The box office figures do not suggest otherwise. The first highest grossing Nigerian film in the past decade was the 2016 comedy film 'The Wedding Party. It was recently displaced by Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz film, 'Omo Ghetto (The Saga)'. In the list of the top 10 highest-grossing films in Nigeria, only 'King of Boys' is outside the comedy box, thereby giving weight to the assertion. The flip side is that many filmmakers now stick to the comedy genre, against their better judgment.

There are few filmmakers though who would rather explore other genres and privately screen their films than having a wide theatrical release. Those who still pursue a big-screen debut, however, pray fervently that their films will challenge the norm.

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