By David Kabiyesi
Foremost actress and actress, Ireti Doyle believes the Nigerian spirit is what set Nollywood stars apart from Hollywood and Bollywood counterparts.
According to her, Nigerian actors and actresses are willing to explore and tread where others tremble, adding that the cloud is just the beginning for Nollywood.
”I think because we are not afraid to navigate the global industry as one combined. When we are navigating, we navigate as Nigerians. We are not ashamed of our ‘Nigerians’. It shows in our stories, it shows in the way we tell the stories, the way we present the stories, and the way we build these stories to the world. We carry the best of the Naija spirit with pride. I think that is what gives us a unique flavor.
”Is all of that good all the time? Maybe not. But there is no denying the fact that it sets us apart. When the Nigerians arrive, you will know. So, I think the fact that we carry that identity with us around with pride is one of the things that set us apart.
We have evolved in leaps and bounds. I am so proud of our journey thus far. I am so proud of how far we have come, what has been accomplished, and the kind of collaborations that we are now involved in. I am so proud of all the front liners, especially the women doing great things. It is a wonderful time to be involved.”
Ireti however stressed that there is always room for improvement saying: Absolutely. There will always be, but there is no denying the fact that we have come a long way and there is so much to be proud of. If we weren’t on the right track, we wouldn’t have the big streamers here.
”Everybody is here; this is a huge market. Our production values have grown exponentially and I am looking forward to the time when the artistic end of things like storytelling and the scripts will get even better. But we have evolved tremendously and the only people who cannot see it or hear it are the blind and deaf.” she said
