More trouble may be ahead of Nollywood as corporate patronage of it is shrinking,
After a phenomenal rise to global fame, Nollywood celebrated its 20th anniversary recently. It ought to be a time to dance probably round the year, but things are far from being very rosy for the industry at present. Among other issues, piracy, absence of structured distribution networks and a string of scandals trailing some of its starplayers are threatening to rob Nollywood of its glory. While these issues are not new, they have taken a toll on the fortunes of some actors and actresses.
Before now, one area where a good number of the screen stars had found consolation is that of endorsements by corporate organisations, especially telecom giants that include Globacom and MTN. But the business world is fast shifting its love to musicians. Only last week, Globacom dropped some of its Nollywood ambassadors, after settling for a crop of Nigerian singers. For some, it is a pointer to the fact that the organisation may have realised that musicians, rather than actors, have more influence on young people in Nigeria at the moment.
