The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Abhishek Singh, has called for deeper collaboration between Bollywood and Nollywood, saying the two film industries should move beyond cultural exchanges to joint productions, investment and access to their vast domestic and international markets.
Singh made the call at a Media Meet Press Briefing and dinner with members of the Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DICAN), where he identified the creative economy as a major emerging frontier for strengthening India-Nigeria relations.
According to him, the time has come for Indian filmmakers to increasingly consider Nigeria as a production destination, while Nigerian actors, filmmakers and other creative professionals gain opportunities to work in India.
“I think it’s an idea whose time has come,” the envoy said in response to questions from journalists.
The proposed partnership comes against the backdrop of expanding economic ties between Nigeria and India, which now cover trade, investment, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, defence, agriculture, technology and culture.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has reportedly risen to about $9bn from $7.13bn, while more than 200 Indian companies operate in Nigeria, collectively employing nearly 100,000 Nigerians.
Singh said the film industry could emerge as another significant driver of commercial cooperation between the two countries, particularly given Nigeria’s wealth of acting, filmmaking and creative talent.
“Nigerians are very talented actors,” he said, noting that India’s film industry places a high premium on talent and that Nigerian performers could find opportunities within India’s vast entertainment ecosystem.
The envoy disclosed that Nigerian associations of film producers and actors had already approached him, with discussions ongoing on possible projects aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two industries.
He cited the work of Indian filmmaker Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, who is based in Nigeria, as an example of the possibilities inherent in closer Bollywood-Nollywood cooperation.
Singh noted that Ahuja directed and produced Namaste Wahala, a Nigerian film that brought Indian and Nigerian talents together, while also participating in other projects involving collaboration between the two countries.
The High Commissioner said such initiatives showed that the relationship between the two film industries could evolve from cultural exchange into a commercially viable production partnership with wider economic benefits.
He added that Indian filmmakers were increasingly travelling outside the country to shoot films, creating an opportunity for Nigeria to position itself as an attractive destination for Indian productions.
Under the proposed model, Indian films could be shot in different Nigerian locations while featuring Nigerian actors and other creative professionals. Such productions, Singh said, could generate business for a wide range of sectors beyond the film industry.
These include hotels, transport companies, tourism operators, advertising agencies, location managers, fashion designers, technicians and digital-content businesses.
The opportunity could also extend beyond Nigeria, potentially providing Indian filmmakers with a gateway to Africa’s growing entertainment and consumer markets.
With Nollywood already boasting a large domestic audience and a significant global footprint, stronger ties with Bollywood could help create a new platform for the exchange of African and Indian stories, talent, investment and production expertise.
A sustained Bollywood-Nollywood partnership, therefore, could position Nigeria as a major African production hub for Indian filmmakers seeking access to African locations, stories, audiences and creative talent, while opening new international markets for Nigerian filmmakers.
The collaboration could ultimately deepen people-to-people ties between Africa and Asia while turning the creative economy into a new engine of India-Nigeria and broader Africa-India commercial relations.
