Information Minister Mr. Labaran Maku has described the death of foremost Nollywood movie producer, writer and director Mrs. Amaka Igwe as a huge loss to the entertainment industry in Nigeria.
Mr. Maku, who was commenting on the death of the movie producer, recalled that even before the advent of Nollywood, Amaka Igwe dedicated her young adult life to the creation of Checkmate – a soap opera that held the nation spellbound in the nineties, and excelled in the art of movie production.
Mr. Maku said the actors she created later became the pioneers and stars of Nollywood where they equally excelled in projecting the image of the country and selling the authentic Nigerian culture to the rest of the world.
In his tribute to the late movie producer, Mr. Maku said Amaka Igwe’s Rattlesnake movie trilogy was the first artistic success of the Nollywood industry.
He noted that through the untiring efforts, commitment and ingenuity of people like Amaka Igwe, a multi-million dollar movie industry was created in Nigeria and emerged as the second biggest movie industry in the world after the Bollywood of India, providing employment for thousands of Nigerians.
He stated that the late Amaka was a Nollywood female colossus and icon, who along with her husband, Charles Igwe, redefined the landscape of movie production in Nigeria. They strove to evolve a paradigm shift in entertainment content provision in the country.
The Minister said the successes of Nollywood, which was created over two decades ago, played a significant role in growing the nation’s economy into the biggest economy in Africa, surpassing South Africa in the recent rebasing of the Nigerian economy.
While commiserating with the Igwe family, Nollywood and the entertainment industry in Nigeria, Mr. Maku urged movie actors, producers and writers to emulate the dynamism and vibrancy of the deceased who contributed immensely to the creation of the Nollywood movie industry that has become not only the pride of Nigeria but Africa in general.
He prayed God to grant repose to the soul of the deceased and grant her family and the entertainment industry in Nigeria the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
