Don’t compete, learn from Nollywood –Michael Uchegbu to GH filmmakers

POPULAR Nigerian actor, Michael Uchegbu, has urged stakeholders in the Ghanaian movie industry to stop expending their energy on contesting Nollywood and rather concentrate on building a unique brand.

He pointed out that Nollywood, which is currently rubbing shoulders with Hollywood and Bollywood, has achieved its status through relentless effort and innovations and that attempts to compete with the industry would rather impede the development of Ghana’s film industry.

In a chat with Graphic Showbiz, the Anomalous actor said players in the Ghanaian movie industry could rather learn a lot from their Nigerian counterparts. 

“The GH movie sector is not making much progress due to the lack of drive among its players to achieve global success and that is what is hindering its growth. So the best bet is to learn from Nollywood and not spend precious time trying to compete with them.

“Filmmakers in Ghana could harness the experiences and practices of Nollywood to overcome the sector’s current challenges. They also need to strategise to build up the industry by producing exceptional movies that can gain international recognition instead of rivalling Nollywood,” he added.

He also emphasised the importance of investment, hard work and collaboration for the growth of Ghana’s movie industry.

 “Nigeria’s movie industry is far advanced in my opinion because we are a go-getting nation while Ghanaians are more relaxed and calm so I think the way to go is to learn from each other and build each other up. Ghana and Nigeria should not compete if we are to build Africa and our respective industries,” he noted.