Under normal circumstances, a more grandiose celebratory ceremony would be underway to mark the end of Inside Nollywood’s first-of-its-kind Film Journalism Fellowship. Perhaps we would be at a rented conference room in one of Lagos’ finest but more affordable hotels, or at a moderately sized open/rented workspace. However, we aren’t under normal circumstances. The throes of Covid 19 still linger and the normalcy of remote working has taken over the warmth and rigour of in-person work-learn environments. Inside Nollywood's fellows are littered throughout the country, with some spilling to different continents. Instead of customary celebrations, we opt for congratulatory, heartfelt messages via WhatsApp, which is satisfactorily embraced by everyone because the opportunity to learn with others equally as passionate about film and journalism is far more rewarding than a glamorous party. 

The Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, remains Nigeria’s strongest backbone. As the second largest employer in the country, after agriculture, Nollywood’s ecosystem employs about one million people directly or indirectly. The industry’s rapid growth since its commercial boom in the early 90s has lacked adequate documentation. Asides from sensationalized reportage of industry players over the years, Nollywood’s history has lost out on the immortalizing power of proper journalism. Outside the journalism space, academia has made notable efforts to memorialize the industry as it develops, as well as spur necessary conversations about the industry’s activities and its players. The lack of a structured film journalism sector in Nigeria has prompted a rise in digital, independent film journalism publications in recent years. From casual film reviews and film blogs, avid film watchers and lovers have taken it upon themselves to document Nollywood’s history as it unfolds before their very eyes.

Inside Nollywood, a Nollywood-centered publication has decided to take it a step further by not only telling stories about the industry but to train others with a similar passion. Co-founders Anita Eboigbe and Daniel Okechukwu alongside Precious Nwogu-Aboh fashioned a three-month fellowship aimed at bringing experienced and passionate film journalists to learn from each other. A career in film journalism, a niche uncommon to many is fueled by a genuine interest in film. “I chose a career in film Journalism after figuring out that I wanted to make films and still be able to work as a journalist. I researched about film journalism in Africa and there was not so much in the space.” Damilola Aleje, film journalist, producer, and fellow tells AMAKA.

While the unifying characteristics of the cohorts are a knack for writing, a passion for Nollywood, and a desire to tell stories, the fellows understand the dire need for film journalism in the industry. “Film, like any other art, would not thrive well without critics. Critics ensure there's a form of balance to the art. Nollywood needs critics, especially now that our stories are reaching a global audience.” Fancy Goodman says. Precious Nwogu-Aboh, film journalist and fellowship faculty head believes the industry needs knowledgeable critics and journalists “Largely for posterity. In a century, people should want to know about Nollywood, its successes, and lows.”

According to The International Trade Administration, the industry is projected to earn about $900 million in 2023. And with Nollywood’s recent reputation for exceeding annual projections, it is likely it will be the same fate in the coming year. As the industry continues to violently expand, the topic of accountability steps into the picture. “Who will hold people to account [?]” Inside Nollywood co-founder Anita Eboigbe asks. The audience is also growing from slothful watchers to keen observers. Many are becoming intolerant of the industry’s old tactics, narratives, and frequently criticized issues, and are not hesitant to call industry players out. Investment from international companies, and creative initiatives, now afford production companies to scale up production. However, the rise in larger budgets doesn’t always mean better film quality or narrative structure. The Creative Industry Financing Initiative launched by CBN which affords film production businesses get a loan of up to 30 million Naira ($83,000) and film distribution businesses a loan of up to 500 million Naira ($1.2 million) only further perpetuates the current bad habit of big budget marketing and low budget content. “If we don’t hold filmmakers accountable Nollywood would not grow past this in terms of output.” Tomisin Olorunfemi, another fellow adds.

For Nalu Success, a fellow and student journalist, the industry should detest immediately from selling current narratives. The integration of Nollywood films into global platforms is enough reason for a wake-up call in the industry’s journalism practice. “We’re taking on bigger spaces it's very important for us to have more structured discussions [about the industry],” she says. In a bid to hold filmmakers accountable for their films, either to reign praises or hurl harsh but necessary criticism, young film writers are taking an effort to build a structure to chronicle honest collective views about a film. It’s no longer enough to air flimsy reviews on Twitter, the industry needs a structured critiquing ecosystem to check its excesses and lacks.

Now as the fellowship winds down and everyone is reflective on the last three months, I can’t but wonder if the female cohorts recognize the importance of their presence in the industry. According to the five female cohorts, myself included, the presence of women in film journalism is necessary and non-negotiable with the trend of gender and sexual inclusion in the film industry. Both Damilola and Nalu believe it’s a ‘no-brainer’ for women to be at the forefront of film journalism in Nollywood as female journalists would provide a “balance”.

Anita’s reasoning has more depth. “The coverage about how things are seen are often as slanted as the people covering them.” She says. As feminist film theorists have continually called out the errs of the male gaze and many other stereotypical representations of women, Anita believes there are certain nuances in a film that only women can recognize because it's their reality. “I’ve realized with time that it's not like men are trying to be malicious they just don’t understand what’s going on a lot of the time.” She adds.

Tomisin is of the opinion that women in film journalism would be able to bring fresher narratives. Like Anita and Fancy, she believes that only women covering the industry would understand the context and nuances behind the actions of women in the film industry. “Women will be able to understand juggling womanhood with showbiz…they’ll be more equipped to understand those perspectives and unique issues,” she adds.

Despite the inclusion standards the industry is beginning to uphold, its films are still ineffective in delivering diverse stories of women. “The women in Nigerian films are very underdeveloped. [they are] usually one dimensional,” Anita tells. Nollywood, since its major boom in the early 90s, is not new to criticism for its flawed, stereotypes of women. The ‘wicked stepmother’, ‘cheating wife’, and ‘promiscuous young adult’, are tropes that are still present in today’s films. While those tropes are present but not as prominent, they’ve been dutifully replaced by other stereotypes. For example, the most redundant of them is the stone-cold executive (Fifty, Okafor’s Law, Who’s The Boss, The Set-Up, Hey You!, King of Boys).

On the other hand, Damilola believes the stories are in an “evolving stage”. She acknowledges the intentionality filmmakers have in highlighting stories about women and putting them at the forefront. In the last four years, many Nollywood films have had female characters champion storylines. Films like Omo Ghetto, a two-year title holder for highest grossing Nollywood film, Sugar Rush which is currently the seventh on the coveted list, and King of Boys - all women-directed films – sit as a testament to the commercially-successful efforts of filmmakers. Nonetheless, Precious believes that “there isn’t enough [diverse stories of women] to wash away the years of stereotypes influenced by ‘home videos’.”

It's clear the current generation of film journalists storming the industry is intentional about making a change. “Something has started [in the industry], this is why we set up the fellowship,” Anita tells AMAKA. From using their voice to call filmmakers to action or to stand as historians for industry events as they unfold, the female fellows of Inside Nollywood’s premier film journalism fellowship are ready to make a mark with their work.