Mercy Johnson’s Appointment Reflects Nollywood’s Growing Role In Governance – AGN

AGN President Abubakar Yakubu has come out to commend Governor Monday Okpebholo for naming Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson‑Okojie as Special Adviser on Public Engagement and Advocacy. He recently had his say at the Guild’s national headquarters in Abuja, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, the appointment reflects Nollywood’s growing role in governance and national development, and Mercy has once again proven to be a source of pride to the Guild and the entire creative ecosystem.

Yakubu added that Mercy Johnson’s public appeal, communication skills and grassroots connection make her perfectly suited for the role.

WOW.

Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject to several controversies.

The origin of the term “Nollywood” remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema.

Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times. The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words “Nigeria” and “Hollywood”, the American major film hub.

Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most of the regional industries.

AGN President Abubakar Yakubu has come out to commend Governor Monday Okpebholo for naming Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson‑Okojie as Special Adviser on Public Engagement and Advocacy. He recently had its say at the Guild’s national headquarters in Abuja, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, the appointment reflects Nollywood’s growing role in governance and national development, and Mercy has once again poven to be a source of pride to the Guild and the entire creative ecosystem.

Yakubu added that Mercy Johnson’s public appeal, communication skills and grassroots connection make her perfectly suited for the role.

WOW.

Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject to several controversies.

The origin of the term “Nollywood” remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema.

Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times. The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words “Nigeria” and “Hollywood”, the American major film hub.

Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most of the regional industries.