Wumi Toriola: Striving for excellence and professionalism

In the Nigerian film industry, the female practitioners seem to be taking the bull by the horn and changing the narrative – especially as producers.

Year in, year out, young female practitioners are taking up the mantle of leadership to produce films and make a killing out of the job.

Interestingly, quite a number of the female film practitioners are not only producing films but also taking giant steps in contributing to the growth of the industry in different ways.

Popular actress and producer, Wumi Toriola is one of these female practitioners making indelible prints on the Nigerian film scene.

Recently, Toriola, in an unusual manner, brought together a cross section of Nollywood stakeholders as she hosted a colloquium and end-of-year soirée themed “Future of Nollywood: Challenges and Progress.”

The event, which she also described as “The Genesis 1.0,” held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, and featured insightful conversations on standards, professionalism, and the future of the film industry.

Delivering the keynote address, Professor Mojisola Bimbo-Manuel urged practitioners to take responsibility for shaping the future of Nollywood. She noted that actors wield significant influence, often serving as role models whom children listen to more than their parents.

Bimbo-Manuel emphasised that the industry must adopt higher entry and professional standards if it hopes to attract serious investment.

“People will put good money into filmmaking, but the only way to access that investment is to bring out good products,” she said. “There are so many people among you that should not move with you. Your industry is suffering because standards are not enforced.”

She questioned Nollywood’s lack of structured criteria for entry compared to academia. “Before you can become a professor in UNILAG, you must have a PhD. What is the benchmark for getting into Nollywood?” she asked.

She also stressed that female actors do not need to dress provocatively to command respect.

Drawing from her personal life, she added, “I’ve been married for 29 years and no one has ever settled a quarrel between my husband and me. The world expects you to be perfect, but you are not. Still, you don’t need the negative publicity you sometimes get, because you have children who may suffer for it.”

A financial expert, Akorede Idowu, also addressed the guests, advising Nollywood creatives to prioritise their financial well-being.

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“Everything has its season. The law of diminishing returns will always set in. You won’t always have the strength to work, and younger faces will keep joining the industry. It is wise to plan ahead,” he said.

Idowu urged practitioners to save, invest, diversify their income streams, and build an emergency fund. He also encouraged them to stay informed about tax laws that apply to their work.

Speaking on behalf of the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, Bukola Agbaminoja, pledged continued government support for the creative sector. She noted that global stars are currently in Nigeria shooting films because they are impressed by the quality of local talent.

She added that the state government has provided grants running into hundreds of millions to filmmakers.

As host, Toriola charged her colleagues to uphold integrity in their work.

“Character is different from integrity,” she said. “People judge me by how I shout in movies, but you will never hear that I got paid and failed to do my job. We must ensure we operate with integrity in everything we do.”

The event attracted several notable guests, including Yewande Adekoya, Dolapo Oni, Bimbo Aiyeola, Regina Chukwu, Adediwura BlarkGold, Fausat Balogun (Madam Saje), Omowunmi Ajiboye, Idris Aregbe, and Opeyemi Ajayi (Managing Director of Cinemax).

This is coming on the heels of the launch of her YouTube channel, wumitoriolatv, and success of her co-produced film in the cinema, ‘Gingerrr.’ I connected with Annie