I’m senior to Pete Edochie in Nollywood – Actor Yemi Solade

Veteran Nigerian actor Yemi Solade has stirred controversy on social media after claiming seniority over legendary actor Pete Edochie in the Nollywood film industry.

In a now-viral video, Solade clarified that while Edochie may be older in age, he began his acting career much earlier. “I’m a senior to Pete Edochie, though he is older than me, but I started acting before him,” he said.

According to Solade, he began acting in 1977 at the age of 17 and has since spent 48 years in the industry. “I started acting when I was 17 as Nigeria’s youngest actor. I have done 48 years in acting and I’m still standing,” he stated.

The actor also challenged the widely accepted narrative that a different segment of the Nigerian movie industry founded Nollywood. He criticized the neglect of the Yoruba film industry’s contributions, explaining that its failure to document early activities allowed others to claim undue credit.

“They claimed to have started Nollywood because they romance the media. The Yoruba section was just acting without documentation,” Solade noted.