“When it comes to Nollywood, Pete Edochie can’t contest with me” — Kanayo O. Kanayo

“It’s not a matter of biological age. In Nollywood, I am his senior.” — Kanayo on Pete Edochie.

Nollywood or more generally referred to as the Nigerian film cinema has grown to become a broad term when describing Nigerian actors, and for the likes of Pete Edochie and Kanayo O. Kanayo, each claim to be a pioneer of its scene.

A lot of narratives have been said of the industry, pertaining its history and those who own stakes in the terrain, with lots of contests and debate flying around as veterans add to its narratives.

Who started Nollywood? Who were its grandmasters and who were those that featured in the industry’s first film?

Some have classed Nollywood in loose term to mean the Nigerian entertainment industry, which to some does not discriminate Television from Cinema or as it was then ‘Home Video releases’, as Pete Edochie would put it; he started acting in the entertainment business way before the industry was conceived.

Simply put, the ‘Godfather’ as he is popularly called, was the godfather of the industry even before the term became a thing. However, Kanayo O. Kanayo contests this with the veteran.

In an interview with Afia tv, the Nollywood thespian credits that he was among those who featured in Nollywood’s first ever movie which was released in 1992, the ever popular movie, ‘Living In Bondage’, which was 4 years before Pete Edochie featured in a film release.

Kanayo in the interview recognizes the seniority in age of the industry veteran, but disagrees with Edochie’s assertion that he pioneered the film scene.

“Some of us cannot be written out of the history when it is told of Nollywood,” Kanayo said.

“You can’t take it away that Kenneth Nnebue made the first professionally produced home video in 1992. You can’t take it away from those who took part in Living in Bondage.

“Just like you can’t take it away that Things Fall Apart which Pete Edochie took part in was not ‘Home Video’ or cinema. So if you write a story now that says ‘Pete Edochie’ is older than me in Nollywood, I will contest it because he came four years after.

“It’s not a matter of biological age. In Nollywood, I am his senior.”