Nollywood, evidence of Nigeria’s cultural influence in the world —US Senator

Nollywood, the nickname of Nigeria’s movie industry, according to United States Senator from Delaware, Christopher Coons, has the capacity to compete with any other movie industry in the world.

Senator Christopher Coons recently led an eight-man congressional delegation to Nigeria.

Addressing press men at the residence of the United States’ Consulate General, Mr John Bray, on the shared challenges facing Nigeria and the United States, Coons disclosed how Nigeria’s creative industry was influencing America and the world.

“We have heard about the amazing solutions that young Nigerians are coming forward with,” he said. “We recognise the vibrancy, the creativity and the entrepreneurship that young Nigerians represent. And we know that when you find a solution to challenges facing Nigeria, you find a solution facing not just Africa, but also the entire world.

“We are here to talk also with the creative leaders of Nollywood, those who are making films that are watched all over the world, demonstrating that Nigeria has a film culture that rivals the greatest in the world. You might not just know how much Nigeria has taught United States.”

‘Astonishing’ and ‘extraordinary’ were the words Coons used in describing the entertainment industry and its players, stating that “sometimes the media focuses on the negative things in Nigeria, sometimes it focuses mainly on Borno State.

“Though the challenges there are real, we conclude our visit to Nigeria knowing that the United States has similar values, similar dreams and similar challenges with Nigeria. And that the energy that is the Nigerian people is extraordinary.”

Meanwhile, according to recent ranking, modern film industries with the largest markets by box office are United States, China, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and India, while countries with the largest number of film productions are India, Nigeria and the United States.