Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has called on stakeholders in the Igbo film industry to urgently rethink their approach to filmmaking and take deliberate steps to promote Igbo history, culture and heritage in contemporary Nigerian cinema.
Duru, speaking during an interview on Gbam, expressed concern over what he described as the diminishing visibility of Igbo-centric stories, particularly on major streaming platforms such as Netflix. He said the growing prominence of Yoruba-language and Yoruba-centred productions was not accidental, but the result of deliberate organisation, investment and a conscious effort to protect and promote their cultural identity.
“When they say charity begins at home, that’s what has happened to the Yorubas. We need to learn from them. If you don’t protect your own, if you don’t project your own, who will do it?
“We created an industry. It’s so shameful. Go to Netflix today; you hardly see one Igbo film that speaks of the Igbo heritage. It’s annoying,” Duru said.
The actor argued that Igbo filmmakers should not view the success of Yoruba cinema with resentment but should study the strategies that enabled it to establish a stronger presence in the local and international film market.
According to him, Yoruba filmmakers recognised the importance of creating opportunities for themselves, mobilising financial resources and building an ecosystem that placed their cultural stories at the centre of their productions.
“The Yorubas created an opportunity for themselves and utilised it very well for themselves. So why were you not learning? Why didn’t you see it? Because of that same concept: you think you are the big man, but you forget that there will come a time when you need to be expansive, proactive and ask yourself, ‘There is a new market space. Why am I not there?’”
He added: “They (Yorubas) perfected themselves. They got together, called their people who were able to spend money, and all that stuff. So the Yoruba-centric nature protected their own. Don’t get angry with them. These are people who saw their own and protected their own. What happened to you?”
‘Where Are Our Great Historical Stories?’
Duru also questioned the failure of the contemporary film industry to adequately draw from the rich history, literature and achievements of the Igbo people.
He lamented that despite the abundance of historical figures and literary works that could provide material for compelling films, relatively few such stories have been developed into major productions capable of reaching international audiences.
“We have how many great men in Nigeria? When was the last time you saw the epic of one of these great men?” Duru asked.
He further criticised what he considered inadequate cultural representation when filmmakers from outside the Igbo community attempt to tell Igbo stories.
“We have great writers who are even writing for the Yorubas. We see the Yorubas crossing over to write Igbo stories, like Ahamefuna, and made a mess of who we are.”
His comments come amid broader debates about cultural representation in Nigerian cinema, particularly as Nollywood productions increasingly reach audiences outside Africa through international streaming services.
Profit Before Passion
Duru traced some of the challenges facing Igbo cinema to the formative years of Nollywood, arguing that a section of the industry’s early producers became more focused on immediate commercial returns than on building a sustainable creative and professional structure.
According to him, the pursuit of quick profits, influence and control prevented some of the industry’s early players from adapting as Nollywood developed into a more sophisticated global industry.
“They were just merchandising. Not passion. They just wanted to make money,” he stated.
“They were busy about the power, authority and money they were making to the point that they didn’t know that they were losing it… That’s why they left; that’s why they lost out. Where are they now? Those names don’t make any sense.”
The actor suggested that the experience should serve as a lesson to contemporary filmmakers, stressing the importance of thinking beyond immediate financial gains and investing in structures that can sustain an industry over time.
Duru Decries Declining Production Standards
Beyond the question of cultural representation, Duru also expressed concern about what he described as a decline in the professional ethics and production discipline that characterised the earlier years of Nollywood.
He recalled a period when filmmakers paid greater attention to auditions, casting, rehearsals and the development of scripts before production began. In his view, that level of preparation contributed to the lasting appeal of many classic Nollywood productions.
“That hallmark of nostalgia is because it was content, passion, and people sat down and thought through every moment, even from audition to rehearsal to casting. It was very procedural,” he said.
“But today it is all step and jump, today script, tomorrow go and sell. There’s an influx of so many people, ‘everybody can do it.’ People no longer respect the ethics and principles that guide everything you do in life.”
Duru, however, said the emergence of new filmmakers and content creators should not be interpreted as a threat to veterans or pioneers. Rather, he described the influx of new talent as evidence that the Nigerian entertainment industry is expanding.
He stressed that the challenge was ensuring that growth did not come at the expense of the principles and professional standards that helped establish Nollywood.
“We don’t have an idea of the necessary principles that built our success; once you cannot define it, then you’re progressing in error, and you cannot pass that knowledge to another person,” he added.
Call for Veterans to Lead
The veteran actor therefore urged established practitioners and other custodians of the Nigerian film industry to take responsibility for mentoring younger filmmakers and restoring professional standards.
He argued that veterans should not merely complain about changes in the industry but should actively participate in shaping its future by demonstrating the standards they want younger practitioners to follow.
“Everything is adding up, and we’re getting better and bigger, so it is expanding the frontiers of the industry. But those who created the platform of the industry should work hard to actually push towards the ethics and be exemplary to set a new standard so people can know the way to go,” he concluded.
Duru’s remarks ultimately place the responsibility for the future of Igbo cinema on its own stakeholders, urging filmmakers, investors, writers, actors and cultural custodians to collaborate in developing stories rooted in Igbo identity and presenting them to audiences at home and abroad.
For him, reclaiming that cultural space will require more than producing films about Igbo people. It will require strategic investment, professional discipline, historical research and a collective commitment to ensuring that Igbo stories are told authentically and given the same opportunity to travel globally as other Nigerian cultural narratives.