Saint Obi


One thing that Saint Obi Nwafor, an A-list Nollywood actor has going for him is his undeniable good looks. In fact, in the Nigerian movie industry today, he is known as one of the most handsome studs in the business. Little wonder in time past, he was like the proverbial golden fish which has no hiding place - as everything about him became juicy gossip.

While his surname Nwafor wouldn’t ring any bell among his teeming fans, the name, Saint Obi, does. At a time when he was still single and appeared not ready to settle down, he was regarded not only as a gay, some people even rumoured that he was impotent. All these rumours withered away last December, as this Nigerian-born action hero announced to everyone upon a return from the United States of America (USA) that he has finally found his missing rib. The announcement sure shattered the hearts of a few women. A few months after this, he again announced the birth of his son in the state of Texas, USA.

But do not expect to hear Nwafor, who is popularly known as Saint Obi, talk publicly about his wife, Linda. This, he said, is because he hopes to shield her from “unneccessary publicity and make her enjoy her marital life not as a celebrity’s wife with the attendant exposure to media scrutiny.”

Saint Obi’s sojourn into the movie world sort of began when he was in primary four. He was influenced by the various Cowboy and Indian movies shot in Hollywood and Bollywood. He dreamt of going to Hollywood from then on. So, when it was time for him to go to an higher institution, he opted to study Theatre Arts. Thereafter, he appeared in a number of Soaps in the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Jos. In 1995, he decided to come to Lagos to work as a model. A few months later, Opa Williams featured him in a movie, then Zeb Ejiro called him up for another, and so began his enthralling journey into Nollywood. Today, he has featured in over 60 movies which includes Sleeping With the Enemy, State of Emergency, Blue Sea, Fantasy, Dapo Junior, Benita, Street Fame, Check Point and Crime Planner, among several others.

Although Nwafor was born on November 16 in Port Harourt, he was raised in Jos where he had his primary, secondary and university education.He originally hails from Alaenyi, Ogwa of Mbaitolu Local Government Area in Imo state.“Jos is my roots. It formed my foundation.That city has been very good to me and I love it a lot,” he says.

Obi is from a family of nine but his father passed away just a year before he gained admission into the University of Jos.Not many know that apart from him being an A - list actor, Obi is also an activist for social causes– a trait which he exhibits in the movies he makes. The most recent, though not released yet, is entitled True Colour.

How does it feel being a daddy?

It feels good!

Is that all?

(Laughs) I mean it feels real good. You know when people ask me this question, I often say ‘I am not different from that person up there or down there who has a child.’ It’s the same way. It feels good to be a daddy. Glory be to God. It’s a miracle for a woman to get pregnant, carry the foetus and then deliver at the right time. You can’t get it better than that. It shows you the reality of God and the mystery of life.

You were one of the most eligible bachelors in Nollywood, but you surprised everyone when you suddenly announced your marriage. Tell me about this lucky woman and why you settled for her?

Well, I usually don’t discuss my relationships, but I think for the purpose of this interview, I’ll just say sometimes some things should be left unsaid. Also sometimes, a man has got to do what a man has got to do.

So, you won’t tell me how you met your wife?

That’s a story for another day. Because I will tell you when the time is right.
Ok, if you say so.

But can we talk about how you came into Nollywood?

Nollywood, well, that was sometime in 1995. I had left Jos to Lagos. First, I felt I had something to offer. But before then, I had the dream of going to Hollywood, that was why I read Theatre Arts in the University of Jos, but along the line, the whole thing evolved and I decided to go to Lagos to see what would happen, how I could be a part of what was happening, and wait for Hollywood. So, when I came to Lagos, I started out as a model, I did Peugeot 306 commercial, it was on national network for months and the producer of a movie called Without Love, Opa Williams, was looking for a fresh face but not one that is totally strange to Nigerians. He saw me and hired me. That started the journey into Nollywood. After that, I was called by Zeb Ejiro to feature in his movie.

What is the title of the movie?

It was called Goodbye Tomorrow.

So, Without Love was your very first movie?

Yes, it was. But before then also, I had done series of Soaps on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Jos. As an actor, NTA created a platform for me. But let me quickly say this: I didn’t read Theatre Arts in school because I saw that Nollywood had started booming. I knew what I wanted, I knew I wanted to be an actor since when I was in primary four. I had the vision from way back then.

What inspired you?

I used to watch those Cowboys and Indians movies on tv. I really wanted to be like them.

You mentioned a while ago that you also wanted to break into Hollywood, the movie capital of the world. Tell me, have you been able to achieve that aim after all these years in Nollywood?

Not exactly. You see, as the day progresses, you find out that priorities differ, so to speak. I am not as desperate for Hollywood as I was years back. I now feel that if I don’t help develop this system that we have here, at some point it might go down the drain. So some of us must help in as much as we have bigger ambitions. We must help the system, not just to evolve but also to have a footprint of what movies are all about. That’s where I stand right now. If I want to go to Hollywood now, it will have to be on a kind of collaboration arrangement. I don’t just want to let go of this environment. Yes, I want to make an impact in Hollywood, and also in the Asian movie industry for instance, so that we could incorporate or integrate Nollywood in the world spectrum.

Have you had offers so far?

Well, one or two but when the time comes, I’ll surely do it. But for now, like I said, going to Hollywood for me wouldn’t be through the back door. I see myself not just as a Nigerian brand but as an A-brand. So, if I must go to Hollywood, it must be as an import/export material. If it comes at that level, then it means that they put value on you. It’s just like if you want to bring in Hollywood artistes like Kevin Cosner and Tom Cruise to Nigeria. They are A-level actors so, they have got to understand this. The problem is just that some people who negotiate for us sell us cheaply and when they do this to us, Hollywood begins to look at us differently. Cruise can’t do what I do here and I can’t do what he does there, so there must be a platform where we can meet and accentuate each other for our good.

One thing many people feel works magic for you is your loverboy looks. In movies, your roles are mostly based on this fact. Do you enjoy playing this role. Don’t you atimes crave for tougher roles?

(Smiles) Well, I do not understand the “loverboy looks” you said I have, but it obviously shows that you have not watched a lot of my movies. With all modesty, I see myself as one of the very few versatile actors in Nigeria. I have played the good, bad and the ugly roles. Just name it, I’ve done it all. I have been a criminal, a policeman, lawyer, the lover boy you talked about, the Amadioha priest, a Catholic priest, etc. I have been very blessed because there have been very few actors who get such array of roles. So, people look at me and don’t know what to expect.

When you get a script, what is that thing you look out for that makes you want to feature in it?

Well, I want to see the message it has. The impact it has. Is it something that will teach the society? If it is voodoo movies, I honestly do not like associating with such. Yes, I did it in the past but lately, I do not want to be associated with it again because the reality is, those things don’t exist and Nollywood, sadly, helped to perpetrate such things. And I think Nollywood is helping to impoverish Nigerians.

Really?

Yes; because if you help to increase that myth, then the man down there thinks its real, ok? He doesn’t know that its mere special effects that you are using, some people don’t know this difference. In that regard, Nollywood has failed woefully. So, we must push our people to understand that we must go beyond this level. Some people now believe that you can use a babalawo (witch doctor) to become rich.
Tell me, how expensive can you be if one wants to hire you to do a movie?
Ha! It all depends. I can be nice, if it’s my friend. If it’s strictly business you’ve got to be ready to part with something to have me on board. I tell you, it’s got to be a seven-figure thing. Some of us have paid our dues, some of us have made the biggest hit. If you are a Ronaldo, you’ve got to be paid well so that you can show more skills and score more.

So, do you see yourself as Nollywood’s “Ronaldo?”

There are so many Ronaldos in the movie world. Even in the soccer world, we have Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, e.t.c. We’ve got great players and there is room for so many A-level players. In Nollywood, with all modesty, God has put one in that class.
A few years ago, you produced a movie entitled Take me to mama. It later generated a lot of controversies.

Why was it so?

There was no controversy. I don’t think any actor has produced a movie that made the kind of impact that movie made. You can quote me anywhere. In terms of sales, storylines, name it. It was a big hit. The first Nigerian movie to get a corporate endorsement in the Coca-cola level. It was marketed and promoted, by the NTA. I was the first non-Catholic to get the Catholic endorsement and the movie got eight nominations.

In what year was this and have you made a follow-up movie?

It was in 2003. And based on that success , I decided to raise the bar, so I made another called True Colour. You know, at this stage of my life, I realise that its not just about making money. You get to a stage when you want to change lives and leave a mark. So, I looked around me and saw that our society is suffering today principally because our image abroad is very bad... I tell people that our biggest problem is not corruption but our image. In every country in the world, you find corrupt people, but people don’t look at them as terribly as they look at us. And I thought that except we, the honest people, speak out, the bad people among us will continue to destroy our image.

So what do you think about the project Nollywood issue?

It is a one-off thing. What I mean is that the system should be what should affect the movie industry but what will go across board.
You’ve never been involved in the administrative aspect of Nollywood. I mean like Nollywood politics?
I don’t like politics. I am more of a social commentator.
I am making a difference in my own little way. If I have to change Nigeria’s image, Nigeria’s economy will change for the better. We are one of the most blessed countries in the world. There are very few things we lack as a country and we must harness those things. One of my greatest wishes is that Nigeria’s oil should dry up!

Why?

Because we’ve become a lazy people because of oil. Some nations are not as rich as Nigeria but they are better off.

Let’s go back to your primary call, movies, how many would you say you have featured in so far?

I can’t really put a number to it but if I must, it is over 60.

What is your candid opinion about Nollywood. Do you believe it is the third largest movie producing industry in the world?

In terms of quantity, but not quality. We must call a spade a spade. We are still evolving. Hollywood, I think, is close to 100 years, if not more. Bollywood is more than 60 and we are less than 16 years. The charlatans are almost fading off, and a time will come when real professionals will run Nollywood. Now, you’ll see some people who shoot movies for less than one week. My movie, True Colours, took four years. Even in Hollywood, if a movie is shot in one week, then know that they made plans for one year. We have the market and if we want to harness it, we should give the people quality movies.

Do you think you will make a better director?

I am an actor first, then a producer, followed by being a director. I direct my movies because it’s my vision and no one can do it better than I can.

How rich is St. Obi?

I can also say that God has been faithful and I can also drink garri when I want

What informs your style of dressing?

Simplicity. Some of us try to create levels, but I say there is nothing as such because they are all vanity. You just need to be yourself and be happy about it.
After all these years of being the “centre” of the lives of many women, who practically drooled over you, would you say you miss being single?
(laughs). There is nothing to miss. At every point, in terms of one’s life, one should be contented. Be happy. Nobody wants to be alone.

Where is your wife from?

I have told you, I do not want to discuss my private life






A few days from now, shouts of Happy New Year will rent the air. Real or imagined, give or take, 2008 was filled with events, with some people giving it strength of character.

Distinctively so, the happenings were either making or marring ones, but whichever way, it put words in our mouths and enlivened our lives.

Where were you when history was being written? Supposing you missed out on some of the defining moments /glorious of drawbacks, Showbiz leads you by hand through the street named history as a recap of activities takes centre stage and for those of you that were privy to it all, this is just a reminder that hey, 2008 rocked.

Anita Baker
The famed multiple Grammy award winning American songstress did the unexpected in August. It was her first visit to Nigeria when she disappointingly stood up scores of high-profile Nigerian personalities, including Stella Okoli, Toyin Subair, and Nike Ogunlesi, who had paid N50,000 each to watch her perform live at a show organised by Kilimanjaro Entertainment, thereby incurring their wrath.

In a shock last minute decision to boycott the show, Baker had the day before performed at a private party. The A-List that had turned out in their Sunday best for the command performance bemoaned the incident in loud tones.

Ebube Nwagbo
One of the most talked about actresses in 2008, she decidedly became more socially active in 2008. Arriving at events in heart thumping attire that put on display her curvaceous body, Nwagbo is purportedly close to Kingsley, one half of the crooning duo KC Presh. Though she has termed the report fallacious, the duo has been found in questioning postures and places.

Anita Joseph
The budding actress will give anything to have a shot at fame, including name dropping. She has featured in a few movies and is easily one of the most recognised up-and-coming actresses on account of her controversial stance.

Tonto Dikeh
Her fame soared in 2008, no thanks to her attention grabbing mannerisms. An old flame of Don Jazzy, she helped herself to some of his credibility, coupled with a few roles here and there in Nollywood to arrive at where she is today.

Toyin Aimakhu
Talks of a fiancée based abroad have not saved her the agony of being labelled a man snatcher. If she has played the role so well in movies, she will not fall short of your expectations in a real life drama. Ask Portia Yamahan.

Aremu Afolayan
Although he shares the good looks of his now deceased father, Ade Afolayan (aka Ade Love), one could not tell for sure if the former shared the latter's love for members of the opposite sex until the story broke in town that he was fishing in murky waters. At least, his rumoured alliance with the wife of a socialite turned thoughts in that direction.

Ayo Adesanya
The imminent split from her husband, Goriola Hassan came to fore in the year 2008 when the crossover actress could endure the beatings no more and scurried to safety.

Mercy Johnson
One of the fastest rising actresses, it was a good year for Johnson, as she featured in more films than she can conveniently learn by heart, asides taking several pleasure trips abroad. Her rumoured romantic liaison with crooner D'Banj that pitched her against Ruky Sanda, an up-and-coming actress, tainted her near scandal free year.

Uche Iwuji
Long before now, she has been labelled one of Nollywood's bad girls and the appellation stuck in 2008 as she courted more controversies and less goodwill. It is hoped that 2009 will unravel the many unresolved issues surrounding her.

Jim Iyke
Highly controversial movie bad boy shot fewer movies, but acted out more real life punching scenes. His co-actors include Emeka Ike and Olisa Adibua.

Maryann Apollo and Joy Agbor
The hitherto friendly pair became sworn enemies in the dying days of 2008. The former flatmates fell out swiftly over issues bordering on insensitivity and of course, man snatching.

Saheed and Fathia Balogun
Having dispensed their energies throwing accusations and counter accusations bordering on infidelity and wife battering, the disenchanted couple no longer cohabit. Fathia has found a new lease of life, courtesy of a sizzling romance with a foremost Yoruba movie marketer, as opposed to her husband, who has not realigned in the love department.

Alec Godwin and Kefee
Their messy separation put paid to beliefs that theirs was a match made in heaven. Branama exponent, Kefee and her music producer husband threw caution to the winds when they washed their dirty linen in the full glare of their fans.

Shan George and Momoh Osigwe
Twenty-six-year-old Osigwe and forty-something-year-old mulatto actress had been an item for upwards of two years when the centre began to disintegrate. George accused her former lover of a calculated attempt to defraud her. So messy was their break up that the police were involved.

Annie Macaulay
After recently delivering a baby girl in the United States of America, she now completes the trio of women, who have had children for 2face.

Just when bad belles thought she was down and out following an armed robbery induced miscarriage in the first quarter of this year, she bounced back into reckoning, spotting the tell tale signs of a second pregnancy.

Source:http://nigerianfilms.com

Zainab Bukky Ajayi


Veteran actress,Zainab Bukky Ajayi, says she is nearer to 70s than 50s. but she loves what she does for a living with passion.She converted to Islam in the early eighties and choose the name Zainab.

Her love for the theatre started as a young girl when her father used to take her to the cinemas."I used to tell him that one day I am going to be like one of those actresses, but unfortunately he never lived to see me become an actress,it's a pity but that's God's will. When I was a very young girl,my interest was so much that I used to do a cardboard sort of cinema for children, and I used to charge them half a penny to come and watch.

"Later, the opportunity came for her to study in England. She was abroad for six years, as a Federal government scholar.She left England and came back to Nigeria after her education in 1965 and started out working in Nigeria Television as a presentation assistant in 1966."Then we had an extremely good leader in Dr. Christopher Kolade,who was always monitoring what we do.

"Back then,we had this Thursday meeting, which all announcers all over the states must attend, and this kept all of us on our toes. Then it was not a question of being glamorous, because unknowingly, you will be recorded off transmission the night before the meeting, the tape will now be played back on that day whilst we are having the meeting, and the best part is that, a younger person who is just coming in will be asked to criticize you, so that kept all of us on our toes."

Afterwards,she became a presenter and then a news reader.She presented a couple of children's programmes and 'Nigerian's Sketches',a programme which was all about Nigerian culture,and Diran Ajijedidun of blessed memory was her producer.She was later transferred to Port Harcourt and later back to Lagos, and it was at that time she started her acting career.

She started with the 'Village Headmaster' in the 70's,and she later got a role in Amaka Igwe's 'Checkmate'.She has featured in so many home videos that she has lost count.Shooting of international film Critical Assignment in South Africa, is one of the events of her life that she will never forget."It gave me an opportunity to see how it is done elsewhere, other than Nigeria,where a movie is shot in five days. I went round the country. I saw how a star is treated.For once in my life, I was a star, I was treated as a star, and I believe I am a star.I had my own caravan with my name on it, my own car with a driver who doubles as my security man. And on days when I am not working the car is there to take me wherever I want to go. I had a lovely time, I enjoyed it and I said to my almighty Allah that Hollywood is the next step."


After several postponements and speculations in the media;Star actress,Ini Edo,last saturday shame her detractors who have been carrying ugly rumours that she cannot settle down in a man’s house due to all kinds of nasty stories been written about her in the media as she finally married her controversial lover,Phillip Ehigwina in oil rich town of Eket,Akwa Ibom State,Nigeria.

Accompanied by friends and relatives,Phillip stormed the home town of the actress in style and formally showed off that he is indeed man enough to take their daughter as his darling wife.On her part,Ini Edo was also happy about her choice of man.She told friends that Phillip is her everything.

Expectedly,it was a roll call of her colleagues in Nollywood that graced the occasion.The list includes the Desmond Elliot,Oge Okoye,Rita Dominic,Mama Gee and the duo of Aki and Paw Paw.The event lasted till very late.The traditional wedding was a knock out for critics of the star actress who thought that her relationship with Phillip,the United States based dude would not lead to wedding.Ini further fuelled this some months back when she denied any plan for marriage.

It should be recalled that Phillip and his ex-wife,Ruth went their seperate ways years back over allegation and counter allegations bothering on infidelity.

Global cash crunch hits Nollywood

Though it is cheery news that the cash crunch invading the world like the biblical plague in the time of Moses is showing signs of subsiding, the effect of the global cash crunch has, however, changed the power equation and landscape of the Nigerian movie industry otherwise known as Nollywood.

In Nollywood, money is everything just like in any other show business. Nigerian marketers hold the ace because they fund most movie projects. Long before the global cash crunch became pronounced, Nollywood has been experiencing it own kind of cash crunch. Money has been scarce. And that is why it is real hard today to find a blockbuster movie featuring as many as four to five A-list artists in Nigeria.

‘Anyone who tries that will go bankrupt’ a movie producer said when we sought his opinion. “If you pay about five A-list acts between N800 000 to N1 million and you still have many other expenses to look at, how do you want the producer to make his money back? If you try that, you will go bankrupt. In fact, I’m sure no one is trying that now.”

For instance, the lavish luxury of having for instance Omotola, Genevieve, Emeka Ike, Ramsey Nouah and the likes in your movie is gone. The reason for the change in equation is simple: investors, especially marketers, are no longer making their money back. And these set of actors are among the highest paid in the market.

Even banks and other corporate bodies that show some interest in investing into the burgeoning industry are fast becoming disinterested. Reason? This is not the time to invest into something that won’t yield desired returns or the invested capital.
So in the wake of this financial crisis in Nollywood, everybody is now looking for alternatives and Ghanaians are now the emerging new faces in Nollywood. They serve as ‘perfect’ alternatives to core investors.

Investors in Nollywood are now becoming shrewd with their investment and are always looking for avenues to cushing the effect of the global financial turmoil hence the ‘invasion of Nollywood’ by the Ghanaian element.

Investors practically beg them to come on board and rescue the tight financial situation in the industry. How? By using the Ghanaians, more Nollywood movies will penetrate the emerging Ghanaian market. That is why the likes of Mojid, Nadia Bhuari, Jackie Appiah, and Van Vikers are taking the front burners, even ahead of Nollywood’s more talented acts.

Another alternative the investors are exploring is that of ‘emerging new talents.’ The reason many new acts are fast emerging on the Nigeria movie scene is not because of the magnanimous nature of the practitioners, but they came as children of necessity. That is also the reason why many of them disappear as they come.

Nollywood investors realize that it pays more to make use of the Ghanaians and new acts that take lesser money, compared to the established acts like Nkem Owoh and co.

As of now, Nollywood is groping in darkness awaiting new direction. That is the main reason many look unto the new framework from NFVCB, hoping the policy would emerge the long awaited saviour.

But many onlookers are unfazed by the new fad. ‘This is Nollywood for you. It will soon pass like many of its past fads. Mark my word; many of these so-called Ghana stars and new stars will soon fade away.

They came in as children of necessity and they will go when the condition becomes normal’, one producer told us. Perhaps that explains the real reason many new local acts fade as soon as they come.

In the wake of this development, consumers are increasingly looking for better ways to be entertained. Attention has shifted to Yoruba movies (indigenous language movie). Yoruba movie industry that has been in the shadow of English movie is fast catching up and gaining unprecedented prominence, especially in the market place as against its English counterparts.

Home video consumers, having grown tired of the low quality products of English movies occasioned by the ‘undercut’ many engage in because of cash crunch, are fasting turning to alternatives as well. Their alternatives are foreign and Yoruba movies which is spreading its tentacles all over the world. Yoruba movies are like hot cakes now. Many of the producers are taking this opportunity to churn out more movies. The likes of Funke Akindele and Saheed Balogun are leading the pack. The irony is that the more movies they release, the more they sell. This is a far cry from what is happening in the English sector.

Will this power equation last? We have our doubt; Nollywood is like Charly Boy Show anything can happen!

Source:www.nigeriafilms.com