Entertainment

Breaking Barriers: The struggles and triumphs of female filmmakers in Nollywood

Published

Monday, 21 April 2025, 2:19 am

Contents

As Women’s Month comes to a close, it’s important to spotlight the voices of female filmmakers in Nollywood, their struggles, their resilience, and the ways they continue to challenge industry norms. The pay gap and unequal opportunities The challenge of financing and visibility The struggle for new storytelling approaches How are they overcoming these challenges?What needs to change?Final thoughts

As Women’s Month comes to a close, it’s important to spotlight the voices of female filmmakers in Nollywood, their struggles, their resilience, and the ways they continue to challenge industry norms.

A mix of resilience, talent, and an unrelenting fight against systemic challenges often marks the journey of a female filmmaker in Nollywood.

Whether it is disparity to limited funding or restrictive storytelling expectations, women in the industry must navigate hurdles that their male counterparts often do not face.

Yet, despite these obstacles, many female creatives continue to push boundaries, tell compelling stories, and carve out spaces for themselves in an industry that hasn’t always been welcoming.

Pulse had a conversation with some budding female filmmakers about the struggles they face and how they challenge these barriers.

Their responses reveal a complex landscape, one where gender sometimes plays a defining role, and in other cases, personal and industry-wide factors shape their experiences. They also share the ways they navigate them.

The pay gap and unequal opportunities

One of the key issues female filmmakers face are pay disparity and the lack of executive opportunities compared to their male counterparts. Nosa, an emerging screenwriter and filmmaker, highlighted this inequality.

“Getting paid less. People are more willing to pay men more and even give executive opportunities in our industry. As a woman, I need to put in more effort to be seen as equal.”

This struggle is not unique to Nollywood but is a pervasive issue across industries worldwide. The extra effort required for women to achieve the same level of recognition remains a frustrating reality.

The challenge of financing and visibility

For independent filmmakers, securing funding is often the biggest hurdle. Tigerfirerose, a producer and writer, shared her perspective:

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“My biggest struggles are financing as an independent female creative. I don’t have any gender-based struggles in the industry. Honestly, my experience as a producer and writer has been very empowering. A lot of workshops, masterclasses, etc., are actually tailored towards empowering women. I really thought about it, and my struggles have been more personal/personality-based. I don’t go out, so I don’t network, which can reduce visibility for opportunities. I’m rarely on social media, so most of my work isn’t amplified.”

While her experience shows that some progress has been made in terms of gender inclusivity, the financial constraints remain a critical challenge, not just for female filmmakers but for independent creatives in general.

The struggle for new storytelling approaches

Victoria, another budding filmmaker, brought attention to the rigid storytelling structures that dominate Nollywood, limiting creative expression.

“One of my biggest struggles has been the fact that there’s a particular direction a lot of producers want stories to be told, and there’s no room for unconventional storytelling in many cases. New storytelling methods deserve a place in the industry.”

Beyond storytelling, Victoria also emphasised the issues of funding and access to opportunities:

“It’s frustrating to have ideas, to see them so clearly in my mind, but to constantly hit a wall because I don’t have the financial backing to bring them to life the way I envision. A lot of times, I have to make do with what’s available, which can be both a creative challenge and a limitation.”

Networking and industry connections often dictate success in Nollywood, making it difficult for talented filmmakers without the right relationships to break in.

“It feels like you have to know someone who knows someone to even be considered. I see talented female filmmakers struggling, not because they aren’t good enough, but because they don’t have the right connections or the industry isn’t willing to bet on them.”

READ ALSO: Unforgettable motherhood portrayals in Nollywood

How are they overcoming these challenges?

Despite these hurdles, these women continue to create and push boundaries. Victoria emphasised the importance of persistence and using available platforms to showcase work:

“I create, regardless. I use what I have, I tell my stories in the way that I can, and I put them out there. Social media has been a blessing—it allows me to share my work without waiting for permission from industry gatekeepers. I also lean on my community; other creatives who understand the struggle, who support and uplift each other.”

What needs to change?

There’s a consensus that Nollywood needs to create more accessible opportunities for female filmmakers. More funding, platforms that amplify new stories, and a shift in perception about storytelling are necessary. Victoria summed it up perfectly.

“There needs to be more open doors, more funding specifically for young filmmakers, more platforms willing to amplify new stories and female-driven ones. Not the ones that have been told repeatedly in different formats, and, most importantly, a shift in how people perceive new and unconventional storytelling methods.”

Final thoughts

The experiences of these filmmakers highlight both the progress and the work that still needs to be done in Nollywood.

While gender-based struggles persist, there is also a growing space for women to carve out their own paths, thanks to digital platforms, community support, and the sheer force of their creativity.

As Nollywood continues to evolve, it’s crucial to ensure that these voices are not just heard but amplified and given the resources to thrive.

Women in Nollywood are breaking barriers every day. Now, it’s time for the industry to meet them halfway.

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Entertainment

Me and Chioma are taking a break from childbearing – Davido on wife's next steps

Published

5 hours ago

April 20, 2025

Julie

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Nigerian Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has revealed that he and his wife, Chioma, are currently taking a break from having children.

While speaking with content creator Darryl on the latest episode of his ‘Ride Along With Darryl,’ Davido explained that he feels his wife deserves a break after having three kids.

Davido added that he needs his wife to take a break so she can work on her restaurant and launch her own spices.

He said, “I don’t want more children now. Me and my wife are taking a break. She needs to get out to work. She wants to do a lot of things like opening her restaurant and launching her spices. I feel she deserves a couple of years off after having 3 kids.”

ALSO READ: ‘Omo Baba Olowo’ to ‘Timeless’: A ranking of Davido’s 5 projects

Recall that the couple welcomed a set of twins, a boy and a girl, in 2023, one year after the heartbreaking loss of their first son, Ifeanyi, in a swimming pool accident.

Meanwhile, speaking further with Darryl, Davido revealed that he plans to pivot into filmmaking this year, with several movie projects lined up for later in the year.

He explained that he is not just a talented singer, as he can also act. “I can also act. I can act for real,” Davido declared as he served up his acting CV, saying, “I act in my music videos. I acted in music videos like ‘Jowo’, ‘Nwa Baby’.”

Speaking about his interest in filmmaking, Davido announced that “I am investing in a couple of films this year. Shoutout to my director, Dammy Twitch. We have some ideas, series coming.”

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Davido also offered his assessment of the filmmaking space in Africa, saying, “The film space right now in Africa is going bankrupt. So, we are definitely going to tap into that.”

ALSO READ: Cubana Chief Priest sends heartfelt message to Davido, calls him his treasure

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Entertainment

Most women don’t like nice guys – Frank Edoho

Published

8 hours ago

April 20, 2025

Julie

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Media personality Frank Edoho has said that he believes most women do not like guys who are nice to them.

The famous media personality shared his opinion during a recent episode of The Black Table on TVC Entertainment.

He explained that he landed his position after reading comments made by women under an article on a blog.

“There was an article I saw on a blog that intrigued me. The topic was, ‘What is that red flag that you admire in the opposite sex? The question was directed at women,” the media personality from ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ fame stated.

On what he observed in the comment section, Edoho explained that, “Although I am of the school of thought that men shouldn’t be nice all the time, the answers I got further my resolve that men should not even be nice at all.

“Women were answering, do you know what I saw? There was one I saw that says, ‘I like it when my man tells me, ‘I don’t want to repeat myself.’ She said it turns her on.

“Others said that they like it when their man waxes them, not extremely, but shows power; it turns them on.

“There are some strange things going on in the minds of these women that you are trying to be nice to. I am not saying all of them are like that but majority of women don’t like nice guys. They want bad guys that are nice to them sometimes.”

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Entertainment

'Davido's '5ive' is another big moment for Afrobeats most prolific hitmaker [Review]

Published

11 hours ago

April 20, 2025

Julie

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If Davido’s intention when curating his debut album, ‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis,’ was to assemble a collection of undeniable hit records to command listeners’ attention, this mindset hasn’t really changed 14 years later.

In his fifth album ‘5ive,’ Davido shows the appreciation of hit records that have ensured he maintained his status at the summit of Nigerian music.

Since making an emphatic claim to the throne in his 2012 single ‘All of You,’ his ambition has been backed by wins that have increased his defiance of the naysayers who insist that his success is procured by his silver spoon rather than earned.

On his triumphant fourth album ‘Timeless,’ Davido sends a message to his detractors on ‘Over Dem,’ where, like in ‘All of You,’ he boldly asserts his supremacy.

If these targets intensified in the past two years, so did Davido’s defiance as he spends part of his fifth album reminding his foes of his irreplaceable position in the game.

For Davido, defiance manifests in doubling down on his most defining traits, and that includes the carefully curated flamboyant rollout that preceded the album.

For the music, it’s flaunting his capacity to make easy hits that capture the Turo247newz.com of his primary listeners.

‘5ive’ reflects Davido’s decided effort to connect with the markets Afrobeats has made tangible gains in the past decade, and like a confident ambassador, this Nigerian identity gives the album its core.

Fourteen years into his career with almost all of it at the very top, Davido isn’t about to start pushing the sonic boundaries of Afrobeats now, especially not when he never quite fancied such endeavours.

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Even when he tried with his ambitious 2015 EP ‘Son of Mercy,’ the poor return filled him with enough paranoia to stay clear of such risk-taking.

Little wonder Davido stuck closely to the Amapiano fusion that has delivered big moments for him and Afrobeats in the last 5 years.

Alhanislam‘s opening poetry declared that Davido is active, and the 5-time Grammy nominee didn’t take long to show what it meant.

He deployed Amapiano log drums for the opening song of triumph ‘Anything’ where he celebrates the resilience that has maintained his place at the top.

He clung closely to these familiar log drums, and while they might be tired, Davido trusted in his capacity to inject vibrancy into them through his bubbling delivery and sticky lyrics.

He continues his celebration, soundtracked by Amapiano log drums on ‘Be There Still’ where he restates his intention to remain at the top irrespective of eras or the scheming of detractors.

Davido delivers another log drum-heavy record with Shizzi-produced ‘CFMF’ where he declares his love with localised and relatable declarations of personal sacrifices and the promise of a good time.