I started acting before Pete Edochie — Yemi Solade challenges Nollywood origin story

Veteran actor Yemi Solade has stirred fresh debate about the roots of Nollywood, claiming he began his acting career before the iconic Pete Edochie, despite being younger in age.

In an interview on Father’s Path with Tope, Solade revealed he started acting at 17 and represented Nigeria internationally as the youngest actor in 1977, marking 48 years in the industry. He argued that the Yoruba film sector laid the foundation for Nigeria’s modern movie industry long before the widely cited 1992 Igbo-language hit Living in Bondage.

Solade credited pioneers like Ade Ajiboye, Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala, Ade Afolayan, and Ola Balogun for shaping early Nigerian cinema. He emphasized that home video culture in Nigeria evolved from recorded dramatizations, spearheaded by Yoruba filmmakers using camcorders and cassette distribution.

He criticized the narrative that Living in Bondage marked Nollywood’s beginning, asserting it only gained prominence due to better media engagement unlike Yoruba filmmakers who, he said, focused on craft over publicity.

Solade’s remarks reopen conversations about the true origins of Nollywood and highlight the overlooked contributions of Yoruba cinema to Nigeria’s film legacy.