The more polite term for the branch of Nollywood in Lagos should probably be Nollywood in the west. While the branch in Enugu can be referred to as Nollywood in the east. Also, movies made in Lagos are not the only Nigerian movies made in the west. Asaba is another realm for Nigerian movies in the west. That realm has actually become segregated and branded ‘Asaba movies’. But as far as we know, Nollywood is one and the same, and all filmmakers in Nollywood still apply myopic approaches.
Nigerian movies you watch on iROKOTV or Netflix has little other than drama to offer. So, Nollywood is basically stuck with oversimplified storytelling ideas and is not getting past the drama genre anytime soon. So, we see no need for the division. However, we can agree to the uniqueness of these movies.
Similarities and Differences
Many actors who feature in Nollywood movies of the west can also be seen in Nollywood movies of the east. Among them include Sola S and Mercy Aigbe, who are very popular Yoruba actors. Other actors just stick with their genre. The same goes for actors who originated from Nollywood in the east.
Both divisions make Nigerian movies in the local languages. Most movies made in Lagos are made with the Yoruba language, while many movies made in Enugu are using the Igbo language.
Nigerian movies from the west are mostly horror and magical movies, while for the east, they make more movies in the drama genre.
One thing that both divisions have brought with them though, is the Nigerian traditions. They both make very good epic movies depicting age-long practices – which we enjoy seeing.
Having said this, movies made in local languages are not limited to only Igbo and Yoruba. There have also been movies made in Efik and many other of the smaller local languages found in Nigeria.
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