Communiqué 55: How Nigeria’s film industry can go global

We explored why Nigeria’s film industry has struggled with global commercial success. Now, we outline how it can turn the tide.

1. When Nigerian stories go global

When Paramount Pictures secured the rights to adapt Tomi Adeyemi’s New York Times bestselling novel Children of Blood and Bone in 2022, it was seen as a milestone for Nigerian storytelling on the global stage. The deal, part of a three-film franchise, sparked excitement for its potential to bring a richly imagined Nigerian narrative to international audiences. Yet, the recent release of the film’s cast has reignited a contentious debate about who gets to tell Nigerian stories and how.

The ensemble, which includes Thuso Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, and Viola Davis—with Regina King in talks to join—is undeniably star-studded. However, the non-inclusion of Nigerian actors in key roles has drawn criticism, echoing past controversies around adaptations like Half of a Yellow Sun and, more recently, the upcoming Things Fall Apart series starring Idris Elba. While celebrated for their ambition, these projects have repeatedly faced scrutiny for sidelining Nigerian talent in favor of global star power.

In casting these actors, the producers of these projects sought to balance the demands of cultural authenticity, global appeal, and financial expectations by leveraging star power to attract international audiences. In Communiqué 43, we explained the logic behind this, with a particular focus on the Things Fall Apart adaptation:

“Things Fall Apart is now a global product, having been translated into over 60 languages, including Arabic, Basque, Greek, Hindi, Italian, and Swedish. Therefore, it makes sense that a 2024 adaptation will appeal to a wider, global audience. This strategy will require making hard decisions, such as bringing on investors, actors, and crew members who are neither Nigerian nor speak Igbo, the language of the book’s locale. Furthermore, it is impossible to ignore the financial limitations of Nigeria’s film market. For instance, the highest-grossing Nigerian movie of all time, A Tribe Called Judah, has brought in 1.4 billion naira ($853,000). The top five movies have brought in a combined 3.5 billion naira ($2.2 million)—that’s less than it would cost to even get a star like Elba onboard the Things Fall Apart ship.”

Many argue that these casting decisions have erased the cultural identities the stories aimed to celebrate. But the films’ producers are not at fault. Over the years, the lack of investment in Nollywood’s production quality and distribution systems has made it difficult for the industry to lead its own adaptations.

The result is a paradox: Nigerian stories are going global, but Nollywood, the industry that birthed them, is left behind.

In Communiqué 54, we explained how this state of affairs came to be. Now, we ask, how does the industry move forward?

2. Banking on the diaspora

The Nigerian diaspora, spread across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, is an untapped economic engine. Think of it as a ready-made market primed for Nollywood’s products. These are people with disposable income, living in countries with robust cinema infrastructure, and hungry for stories that remind them of home. A well-made Nigerian film doesn’t need to fight for their attention; it already has it.

They’re not just an audience—they’re a distribution network, a marketing team, and a source of capital all rolled into one. Already, there are early signs that this strategy could be successful. The U.K., which has one of the highest concentrations of Nigerians outside the country, has been the best-performing international market for Nigerian movies. Of the $193,709 generated by the highest-grossing films at the international box office, 93% ($180,815) came from the U.K.

Because the diaspora is geographically dispersed, their support can create a ripple effect. A hit in London or New York can generate buzz that spills over into other cities, drawing in non-diaspora audiences curious to see what the excitement is about. Building partnerships with international distributors in cities with significant Nigerian diasporan populations like Houston and Toronto, and conducting strategic marketing campaigns targeting these diaspora communities can help amplify this reach.

3. Lessons in collaboration

Collaboration, not competition, is the fastest path to building Nollywood’s international presence. Hollywood has the resources—capital, technology, distribution networks—that Nollywood lacks. By collaborating, Nollywood can access these tools. And if giving up some creative control during production is the price to pay, then so be it.

The success of Slumdog Millionaire for Bollywood offers a clear blueprint. Slumdog Millionaire was a loose adaptation of the Indian novel Q & A. Most of its actors, while being Indian, had not been involved in the country’s movie industry before then, leading to the same criticism of cultural authenticity that Children of Blood and Bone now faces. But the film was one of the first Indian movies with international appeal, winning 8 of the 10 Oscars it was nominated for and grossing $237 million—63% of its total $378 million—in the international market. Bollywood films afterward began to see wider releases in global markets, particularly in the West, as audiences became more curious about Indian culture and cinema.

Nollywood can learn from this example. This isn’t about surrendering autonomy; it’s about leveraging strengths. Hollywood’s global reach can amplify Nollywood’s voice, introducing its stories to audiences that might never have encountered them otherwise. And just as Slumdog Millionaire opened doors for Bollywood, successful collaborations could do the same for Nollywood, paving the way for more commercially successful Nigerian films on the international stage.

The production of Children of Blood and Bone is set to begin in South Africa later this year, a decision that has added fuel to the ongoing outrage. But rather than focusing on the anger, this moment should serve as a reality check for Nollywood: the global film industry operates on commercial viability, and Nigeria’s movie industry must prioritize the infrastructure, talent, and partnerships needed to compete. The fact that a story deeply rooted in Nigerian culture is being filmed outside the country, with a largely non-Nigerian cast, shows the gap between Nollywood’s potential and its current capabilities.

To bridge this gap, Nollywood must shift its focus from local dominance to global relevance. This means investing in high-quality production facilities, developing talent that can meet international standards, and forging strategic collaborations with other established film industries. It also means tapping into the economic power of the Nigerian diaspora, whose support can serve as a springboard for international success. These things already happen, but only in bits and pieces. They have to become dominant factors in Nigeria’s creative economy blueprint.

While cultural authenticity is important, it cannot come at the expense of commercial viability. The global market demands both, and Nollywood must rise to the challenge.