Majid Michel
Veteran Ghanaian actor, Majid Michel, has questioned comparisons between Ghana’s film industry and Nigeria’s Nollywood, arguing that the two countries’ population sizes make such comparisons unfair.
In an interview, the actor said Nigeria’s much larger population gives it a greater pool of potential actors, filmmakers and other professionals than Ghana.
He described the comparisons as “stupid”, insisting that population differences should be considered when assessing the growth and output of the two industries.
“The comparison between us and Nigeria is such a stupid comparison to me. If you have 50 children and I have five children, the possibility that you will have more criminals, doctors, good children and filmmakers than me is very high,” he said.
Majid argued that Nigeria’s population, which he put at more than 200 million, compared with Ghana’s fewer than 40 million, naturally gives its film industry a larger talent base.
He questioned why Ghana should expect to match Nigeria’s numbers in filmmaking without accounting for the difference in population.
The actor extended his argument to comparisons between Ghana and more established nations, saying differences in leadership experience and institutional development also needed to be considered.
“There are countries that have been in leadership for over 300 years. They have built systems. We are way behind. So it is an unfair comparison,” he said.