Young Women Should Focus On Authenticity To Find Their Voice – Mo Abudu

Nollywood heavyweights, Mo Abudu and Funke Akindele, have made the Hollywood Reporter’s esteemed list of “Most Influential Women in International Film.” The highly respected magazine recently recognised 46 extraordinary women from across the globe for their commendable impact on the global film industry, and fans have been reacting.

Reacting to being recognised by the magazine, Mo simply urged young women to remain steadfast and original in their quest to find their own voice.

Overwhelmed by the honourable mention, Akindele shared her heartfelt appreciation on her Instagram page, reiterating her commitment to keep releasing projects that are worthy of global recognition.

Mo said, “Stay focused, be authentic and find your own voice.”

Funke wrote, “It’s about owning and empowering our narrative.”

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.