Reacting to the death of Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College in Lagos, who was bullied by his schoolmates, Abubakar said bullies are everywhere, including Nollywood, adding that they are the ones setting the filmmaking industry on a downward spiral.

While noting that she was also seriously bullied in school, such that she intentionally missed the sitting of an exam, Abubakar noted that bullies in Nollywood include producers and actors.

Her words: “I repeated a semester in Bayero University, Kano, because I was bullied. I could not talk then because I was very scared. There was a particular exam I did not write because they (bullies) were there (exam hall) waiting for me for no reason. When I went back to my room, I found out that my food wasn’t there. At times, they (bullies) would lie on my bed which was always neatly laid. It is not something I want to remember because it was not a pleasant experience.

“There are bullies in Nollywood and everywhere else. They all have their gangs and they are the ones destroying Nollywood— from producers to actors. Some would borrow money from one and use their voices to intimidate one not to ask for one’s money back. Some people are just evil.

“I have been a victim (of bullying) since I was 14 years old when I started acting. I was bullied till I stood on my feet and said I would not take it anymore. If I open my mouth (to mention the names of the bullies), there would be waves of shock and amazement. Half of the people that are thought to be nice are actually mean and hateful. There is no joy in the heart of the people that have hurt me.”

The post Actress Halima Abubakar Identifies Those Destroying Nollywood appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

In a recently-held interview, the highly revered filmmaker admitted that Nollywood has potentials, and the Buhari-led government should explore these potentials to create jobs and leverage the economy, which he said has taken a nosedive.

While advising the Nigerian government to invest in film village, studio, and other infrastructures that will add value to filmmaking in the country, Osayande-Aghaze noted that for a country like Nigeria with many potentials to fully be relying solely on oil for survival is worrisome.

His words; “There is no limit to the growth of Nollywood. Apart from the thousands of jobs that the industry has already created, Nollywood also has the potential to change Africa’s image. In my opinion, Nollywood is capable of surpassing oil as Nigeria’s largest source of revenue. In the US, the Hollywood film industry supports about 2.5
million jobs, and generates more than 200 billion dollars to the US economy annually.

“For this reason, I think it is time for the Nigerian government to start investing in film village, studio, and other infrastructures to help boost film production, which will translate to more job creations and boost revenue. Relying solely on oil as the only source of revenue for a country like Nigeria is archaic and an epitome of backward thinking.”

The post Hollywood Producer Greg Osayande-Aghaze to Buhari: Take Advantage of Nollywood appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.