Should we really be celebrating Nollywood cinema?

On Tuesday in Accra, Mrs Njoku and I paid 50 GHS ($9.3) each for a cinema ticket. I was actually annoyed. I have paid this before mind you, but not on a random Tuesday night where there was no more than 15 people in the entire 6:20pm screening for a movie. It kinda just seemed absurd and completely divorced from reality. But it got me thinking. Why do cinema ticket prices in West Africa feel completely detached from the economic reality (GDP per capita) of most people? Furthermore, is this the reason why cinema culture hasn't caught fire like it has in most parts of the world? Because in my mind, at these prices for cinema, I struggle to see how this becomes a mass adoption media across Africa. But what do I know? Perhaps it will always been small in Africa. Perhaps that's the plan. Something for the top 5%. IROKOtv in West Africa is ~$8 for a one year subscription to thousands of Nollywood movies. You can now add an International content bolt on for $5.50. Granted, not the same e...

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