Nollywood actor Yemi Solade says the Nigerian movie industry is now filled with unprofessionals he referred to as Yahoo boys (internet fraudsters) and prostitutes.
In a chat with the Nigerian Tribune on Saturday, the 60-year-old claimed the guardians of Nollywood have allowed unprofessionals to fill positions meant for those who truly have passion for the craft.
“The Nollywood is not there right now. The Nolllywood you see now is all encompassing. It’s like an uncompleted building that is not guarded and what you meet there would amaze you. It has become an all comers affair, anybody can stroll in and act. All the Yahoo boys are now there, all the prostitutes that you can imagine are there,” he said.
“People cannot even differentiate between the core professionals and these class of clowns who have infiltrated the association, but they didn’t just fly in, some people whom you refer to as core professionals brought them in.
“It’s just so porous that anybody can become an actor, the entry point is so porous and annoying. It’s a profession and it must be handled and treated as one. I am not really pleased with the state of the industry. It’s a professional body and we must portray ourselves as one that has mastered the art and craft of the profession.”
Yemi Solade began acting after he quitted lecturing. He is married to Hannah and they have two children.
