Nollywood actor Yemi Solade has claimed that he began his acting career before the legendary Pete Edochie, stirring discussion in the Nigerian film industry.
Solade made the statement during a recent appearance on the show Father’s Path with Tope, where he shared insights into his early days in the industry and addressed what he described as persistent misconceptions about the origins of Nollywood.
Solade asserted that the Yoruba film industry laid the foundation for what is now recognised as Nollywood, but its contributions have often been overlooked due to the lack of early documentation and minimal media engagement.
“I’m senior to Pete Edochie. I started acting before him, though he’s older than me. I was 17 in 1977 when I represented Nigeria as the youngest actor. I’ve done 48 years in the industry and I’m still standing,” he declared.
The actor credited Ade Ajiboye as the producer of the first home video in Nigeria. He also acknowledged the pioneering efforts of Yoruba film legends such as Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala, Ade Afolayan and filmmaker Dr. Ola Balogun.
“The first Nigerian that shot a home video is Ade Ajiboye. We were already doing drama before the introduction of home videos. Even when home video was starting it was just an experiment that was carried out by the likes of Muyideen Alade Aromire, may his soul rest in peace. We were all doing this drama and then they brought this cap recorder.
“So, you as a shop owner, would introduce the cassette for people to buy; it all started like that,” he said.
He criticised the mainstream narrative that credits Living in Bondage, the 1992 Igbo-language film, as the beginning of Nollywood, arguing that it gained attention mainly because its creators embraced the media, unlike the Yoruba pioneers who were more focused on the craft than publicity.
“My people in the Yoruba setting didn’t document anything; that was why the other people in the industry just stepped in to say they started it. ‘Hey shut up’; when people like us are here, we will let you know you didn’t start anything.
“Living in bondage was not the first movie…but because they romanced the media while my people were just doing the do. Most of them (early Yoruba filmmakers) weren’t schooled and they did not pay attention to the media; they were just enjoying themselves,” Solade added.
His remarks have since sparked conversations about the true origin of Nollywood and the historical contributions of Yoruba filmmakers to the industry.
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