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‘N Is For Nollywood’ – Netflix Launches In Nigeria, Announces First Original Nollywood Series

By Violet Johnson

27 February 2020   |   10:34 am

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Globally known and widely used video streaming service Netflix has finally set up its camp in Nigeria with the unveiling of its Nollywood-powered variant, Netflix Naija. The company made this known by first signing up on social media - Twitter and Instagram. Its first post on Instagram reads: N is for Naija. N is for Nollywood.…

Netflix | Photo: Startup Around

Globally known and widely used video streaming service Netflix has finally set up its camp in Nigeria with the unveiling of its Nollywood-powered variant, Netflix Naija.

The company made this known by first signing up on social media – Twitter and Instagram. Its first post on Instagram reads:

N is for Naija. N is for Nollywood. N is the 14th alphabet. 14 is also how many great talents you’re looking at. N is for Netflix. But most importantly…hello, Nigeria!

Going straight into the business of things,  Netflix has set in motion the creation of its first Nigerian sitcom – ‘The Ghost and The House of Truth.’

The star-studded cast includes movie stars such as Kate Henshaw, Joke Silva, Bimbo Akintola, Ramsey Noah, Banky W, Adesua Etomi, Kunle Folayan, Kemi Adetiba, Omoni Oboli, Richard Mofe Damijo will ensure that audiences are wowed and awed.

Netflix is also developing two unnamed original Nigerian series.

Recall in 2018, Netflix took its first shot at the Nigerian movie industry when it bought the rights to Genevieve Nnaji’s Igbo-language production Lion Heart.

The movie was a global hit, which was also recognised in its nomination for the 2020 Oscar awards under the category Best International Movie.

Unfortunately, the movie was later disqualified by the Oscar Academy because the production had a “mere 11 minutes of non-English dialogue,” a move that generated angry reactions particularly from Nigerians.

Oscars 2020: Why Genevieve Nnaji’s “Lionheart” Was Disqualified

Nevertheless, it is clear that Netflix is just as ready to tap into the massive investment opportunities in Nigeria’s movie industry rated as the third-largest in the world after Hollywood (United States) and Bollywood (India).