Famous actor Yemi Solade has shared fresh insight into his longstanding journey in the Nigerian film industry, revealing that he began acting professionally even before the legendary Pete Edochie.
Speaking on the podcast Father’s Path with Tope, the iconic Yoruba actor clarified that while Edochie may be older in age, his own career took off earlier.
“I’m senior to Pete Edochie,” he stated. “I started acting before him, though he’s older than me. I was just 17 in 1977 when I represented Nigeria as the youngest actor. It’s been 48 years and I’m still here.”
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Solade didn’t just reflect on his personal journey—he used the opportunity to set the record straight about the often-overlooked legacy of the Yoruba film industry. According to him, the Yoruba filmmaking community was already active and structured long before Nollywood gained national prominence. However, the absence of proper record-keeping allowed others to rewrite the narrative.
“Our people in the Yoruba space didn’t document anything. That’s how others were able to come in and claim they started the film industry,” he said. “But we’re still here to set the story straight.”
He recalled how the Yoruba filmmakers of the early days used camcorders to record their stage performances, distributing the tapes through local cassette shops. That grassroots system, he explained, formed the bedrock of what would eventually become the Nigerian home video market.
“If you owned a shop back then, you’d help introduce the cassette to customers,” he said. “That’s really how it all began.”
Solade paid homage to the pioneers of Yoruba cinema, naming legends like Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala, Ade Afolayan, and Dr. Ola Balogun. He also gave credit to Ade Ajiboye, popularly known as Big Abass, for producing what he described as the country’s first home video.
According to him, long before Nollywood became a widely accepted term, Yoruba creatives were already experimenting with various formats—from celluloid to early home videos.
“We already had film, we had the celluloid, and we were trying out home videos before anyone else,” he explained. “It was all an experiment at first, but we were doing it.”
He added that respected actors such as Adebayo Salami and Jide Kosoko are still around today to confirm how the Yoruba sector laid the groundwork for the modern Nigerian film industry.
Solade’s comments come as a timely reminder of the depth and history behind regional cinema in Nigeria—particularly at a time when conversations around origin, ownership, and credit in Nollywood continue to stir debate.
