Nollywood Consensus: Modeling a Development Pathway for Africa

This paper is about sociology of development. It discusses Nollywood (the Nigerian film industry) not as a springboard of an alternative popular culture in Africa but rather, as a model for African economic development. The paper argues that the growth of the Nollywood industry has been phenomenal, especially in Africa and that the social mechanics of this growth should serve as a template for the economic development of the continent. China’s recent economic success has often been associated with an indigenous development model described by some as the “Beijing Consensus.” In a similar way, a new (and an alternative) model of development for Africa should emerge from the Nollywood experience.