The largest filmmakers in Nigeria, according to media personality Chude Jideonwo, are primarily from the Yoruba region.
He gave prominent figures as examples, including Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan, Femi Adebayo, Kemi Adetiba, Toyin Abraham, and Funke Akindele.
According to Jideonwo, Kemi Adetiba, Jade Osiberu, Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan, Kayode Kasum, Toyin Abraham, Funke Akindele, Mercy Aigbe, Oga Bello’s son, and Bolanle Austin-Peters are among the Yoruba filmmakers he mentioned.
Jideonwo contended that only Yoruba films are able to appear on websites like Amazon and Netflix and become mainstream cultural hits, implying that the Yoruba filming culture has blended with other groups that are leading again.
He said, “The biggest filmmakers in Nigeria now are all Yorubas. Think about it: Kemi Adetiba, Jade Osiberu, Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan, Kayode Kasum, Toyin Abraham, Funke Akindele, Mercy Aigbe and Oga Bello’s son that do every movie, including ‘Beast of Two Worlds’ and ‘Jagun Jagun’—and Bolanle Austin-Peters.
“Think about it: most of the mainstream, big cinema, and streaming movies are all by Yoruba people. What has happened is that the Yoruba filming culture has merged itself into the other groups that are leading again.
“Can you name one Hausa or Igbo-language movie on Netflix or Amazon? The closest was Genevieve’s ‘Lionheart’ many years ago. Only Yoruba movies are able to exist on Amazon, Netflix and become mainstream cultural hits.”
