Veteran actor Francis Odega blasts today’s Nollywood movies

Veteran Nigerian actor Francis Odega has expressed concern over what he described as the declining quality of movies produced in the Nigerian film industry, popularly known as Nollywood.

Odega made the remark during a recent episode of the Where Is The Lie podcast, where he compared the current state of Nollywood to the era when he and his contemporaries were actively shaping the industry.

According to the actor, films produced in earlier years were more memorable and impactful, while many recent productions fall short of the standards that once defined the industry.

“Back then, one script would give us one unforgettable movie. But now, one script can give you seven bad movies, and that’s not right. Nollywood back then is far better than the Nollywood of today,” he said.

Odega also described himself as one of the pioneers of Nollywood, noting that he joined the industry long before it gained international recognition.

He recalled that the actors’ association initially operated under the name Nigerian Actors Guild (NAG) before it later became the Actors Guild of Nigeria.

“I was among the people who made Nollywood. When we started, Nollywood was just a phenomenon. Our organisation used to be called Nigerian Actors Guild before we later changed it to Actors’ Guild of Nigeria. It was after then that Nollywood came,” he explained.