Nollywood

==Etymology==
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]].<ref name=autogenerated6 /><ref name=autogenerated1 /> Charles Igwe noted that [[Norimitsu Onishi]] also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for ''the New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Igwe |first=Charles |author-link=British Council |date=6 November 2015 |title=How Nollywood became the second largest film industry |url=https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/nollywood-second-largest-film-industry |website=BritichCouncil.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Onishi |first=Norimitsu |date=16 September 2002 |title=Step Aside, L.A. and Bombay, for Nollywood |newspaper=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/16/world/step-aside-la-and-bombay-for-nollywood.html?pagewanted=all}}</ref> 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 "[[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]", the American major film hub.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nificon.org/about/history-of-nollywood/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326105136/http://www.nificon.org/about/history-of-nollywood/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 March 2011 | title=History of Nollywood | publisher=Nificon | access-date=15 October 2014 }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated9">{{cite web |author=Ayengho |first=Alex |date=23 June 2012 |title=INSIDE NOLLYWOOD: What is Nollywood? |url=http://e247mag.com/ww2/inside-nollywood-what-is-nollywood/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224104543/http://e247mag.com/ww2/inside-nollywood-what-is-nollywood/ |archive-date=24 February 2021 |access-date=18 February 2015 |work=E24-7 Magazine |publisher=NovoMag}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated8>{{cite web | url=http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/arts-music-a-movies/qnollywoodq-whats-in-a-name.html | title="Nollywood": What's in a Name? | publisher=Nigeria Village Square | date=3 July 2005 | access-date=20 February 2015 | archive-date=10 March 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310014255/https://nigeriavillagesquare.com/arts-music-a-movies/qnollywoodq-whats-in-a-name.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web |author=Apara |first=Seun |date=22 September 2013 |title=Nollywood at 20: Half Baked Idea |url=http://www.360nobs.com/2013/09/nollywood-at-20-half-baked-idea-words-by-seun-apara/ |access-date=20 February 2015 |publisher=360Nobs.com}}</ref>

Definition of which films are considered Nollywood has always been a subject of debate. Alex Eyengho defined Nollywood as "the totality of activities taking place in the Nigerian film industry, be it in English, [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], [[Hausa language|Hausa]], [[Igbo language|Igbo]], [[Itsekiri language|Itsekiri]], [[Edo language|Edo]], [[Efik language|Efik]], [[Ijaw languages|Ijaw]], [[Urhobo language|Urhobo]], [[Ibibio language|Ibibio]], [[Annang]] or any other of the [[Languages of Nigeria|over 300 Nigerian languages]]". He further stated that "the historical trajectory of Nollywood started since the [[Filmmaking in Colonial Nigeria|pre]] and [[Golden Age of Nigerian cinema|post independent]] [[Nigeria]], with the [[Theatre|theatrical]] (stage) and cinematic ([[celluloid]]) efforts of the likes of Chief [[Hubert Ogunde]], Chief Amata, [[Moses Olaiya|Baba Sala]], [[Ade Love]], Eddie Ugbomah and a few others".<ref name=autogenerated9 />

Over the years the term ''Nollywood'' has also been used to refer to other affiliate film industries, such as the [[Ghana]]ian English-language cinema, whose films are usually co-produced with Nigeria and/or distributed by Nigerian companies. The term has also been used for Nigerian/African diaspora films considered to be affiliated with Nigeria or made specifically to capture the Nigerian audience.<ref name="autogenerated6">{{cite web |author=Onikeku |first=Qudus |title=Nollywood: The Influence of the Nigerian Movie Industry on African Culture |url=https://www.academia.edu/2537401 |access-date=12 February 2015 |publisher=Academia}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |author=Onuzulike |first=Uchenna |date=2007 |title=Nollywood: The Influence of the Nigerian Movie Industry on African Culture |url=http://nollywoodjournal.com/articles.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131115725/http://nollywoodjournal.com/articles.html |archive-date=31 January 2014 |access-date=12 February 2014 |publisher=Nollywood Journal}}</ref> There is no clear definition on how "Nigerian" a film has to be in order to be referred to as ''Nollywood''.

Some stakeholders have constantly expressed their disagreement over the term; giving reasons such as the fact that the term was coined by a foreigner, as such being another form of [[imperialism]]. It has also been argued that the term is an imitation of what was already in existence ([[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]) rather than an identity in itself that is original and uniquely African.<ref name=autogenerated8 />