VIDEO: Francis Duru on Why Yoruba Movies Are Winning Over Igbo Films

Nollywood actor Francis Duru has raised concerns about the drop in Igbo movies and cultural stories in Nigerian cinema. He is urging Igbo filmmakers and investors to take lessons from Yoruba filmmakers.

Duru made these comments during an interview on Gbam, which aired on the Yan Content Factory YouTube channel on Friday.

When asked why Yoruba producers are dominating cinema and platforms like Netflix, he pointed out a lack of adaptation, strategic investment, and protection of regional stories.

“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, you know, who will do it?” Duru said.

He added, “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 mentioned that Yoruba stakeholders have organized themselves well, gathered funds, and protected their culture. He advised Igbo stakeholders to stop being bitter about Yoruba successes and instead reflect on their own mistakes.

He said, “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 continued, “They (Yorubas) perfected themselves. 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?”

Duru also expressed sadness over the lack of focus on historical figures and literary traditions in Igbo culture. He noted that filmmakers from other regions are now stepping in to tell these stories.

“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. “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.”

Talking about why Igbo filmmakers are lagging behind, Duru explained that many early filmmakers only thought like traders. They lacked long-term vision and artistic passion.

He pointed out that early producers focused on quick profits instead of professional growth, which led to their decline in the changing market.

“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.”

Reflecting on nostalgia for classic Nollywood films and soundtracks, Duru said earlier productions stood out because they followed strict procedures and ethics. He compared this to the rushed nature of modern 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 explained. “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 added, “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 clarified that he does not see modern content creation as a threat to Nollywood but as an expansion of the industry. He urged seasoned professionals to set good examples and bring back important standards.

“Everything is adding up, and we’re getting better and bigger, so it is expanding the frontiers of the industry,” he concluded. “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.”