Where is Nollywood, the world's second-largest film industry, located?

The Nigerian film industry currently produces 1,500 movies a year (far more than Hollywood) and is second in volume only to Indian film hub Bollywood.

The industry (nicknamed “Nollywood”) arose during a difficult time when Nigeria faced electricity cuts, fuel scarcity, political instability, and other issues. Movie theaters were closed, state television networks weren’t paying, and the currency was so worthless the country couldn’t import movies. (For many years, Nigerians had enjoyed a regular media diet of American, Indian, and Chinese productions.)

In response, local filmmakers began shooting movies on VHS and copying and distributing them on the street to appease the strong hunger for entertainment.

Nollywood productions have been compared to soap operas with crazier plots. Mythology, spirituality, and the environment are all popular topics. Production values are often poor, yet the films remain popular.

In 1992 the industry’s first real hit, ‘Living in Bondage’ came out. The movie is a thriller about a man who sacrifices his wife to a satanic cult, then is haunted by her ghost. Many mark the film as the unofficial start of Nigeria’s home-grown film industry.

A mere decade later, Nollywood films were being churned out in some 300 languages, and being watched in both urban and rural areas. Initially distributed on the streets and online, some have since found their way into international film festivals. Today the films are also available globally on cellphones.