Nollywood actor Baba Ijesha has sparked conversations after receiving a royal honour from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi. He recently shared photos and a heartfelt message that quickly got many people talking online.
Revealing the details of his royal visit, Baba Ijesha disclosed that the monarch bestowed on him the chieftaincy title Baba Awada Konge Oduwa, alongside luxurious gifts, including a brand-new car.
The moviestar added that he is grateful for Oba Adeyeye’s warm welcome and fatherly love.
His words, “My deepest gratitude to His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife. Baba, thank you for the royal welcome, fatherly love, and the confidence you gave to my wife, Afolashade Omiyinka, and me. For the luxurious gifts you blessed us with and the brand-new car — I am truly humbled.
As a son of the soil, I’m also honoured by the chieftaincy title Baba Awada Konge Oduwa. Ile Ife, Ile Oodua! ATI IJOYE PELU GBOGBO OMO ILE IFE. THANK YOU, SIR/MA.”
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.
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