Actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli has defended Nollywood’s storytelling, saying the industry is rich in originality and continues to gain traction with international audiences.
In a video shared online, Oboli addressed frequent criticisms that Nigerian films are too predictable. She argued that predictability doesn’t lessen the impact of a good story, emphasizing that the real value lies in the storytelling process itself.
“A story can be predictable, but if it’s well told, people will still watch it and enjoy it,” she said.
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Highlighting Nollywood’s strength, Oboli said, “Stories have never really been our problem. I feel like in this part of the world, we have actually more original stories than outside of Nigeria. I dare say that Nollywood has more original stories than Hollywood.”
She went on to compare narrative patterns in Nigerian and American cinema, saying audiences often know how most films—particularly romantic comedies and superhero movies—will end.
“I hear people say, Oh, these movies are predictable. I’m like, name five or ten Hollywood movies that are not predictable. We all know the superhero is going to win the day.
“If it’s a romantic comedy, you know the girl is going to get the guy or the guy is going to get the girl. So it’s not about the predictability of a film. What you’re watching is the journey.”
She explained that when a story is well executed, even a familiar plot can keep viewers engaged.
“If the journey is not interesting, that’s when you start saying, Oh, so predictable. That is because you didn’t enjoy the journey. But if the journey is interesting, you know where it’s going, but the journey is just so interesting. It keeps you glued.”
Oboli also touched on Nollywood’s growing international reach, citing YouTube analytics as proof.
“Our journeys are getting more and more interesting. And the truth is the audience are loving it. And I’m not just talking about the Nigerian audience.
“I’m talking about an audience from all over the world. Like, I mean, YouTube is special in a way that it can show you where people are watching from. So your back end will show you where people are watching from.
“And people are literally watching these movies from all over. Sometimes you see some countries like, really? Do they watch our movies there? People are watching from all over the world. And it’s not even just Nigerians or Africans in those places. It’s literally that people are getting more and more interested.”
