Majid Michel explains why comparing Ghana’s film industry to Nollywood 'makes no sense'

• Majid Michel describes comparing Ghana’s film industry with Nigeria’s Nollywood as “stupid” and unfair because of the countries’ population differences.

• He argues that Nigeria’s larger population gives it a numerical advantage in producing more filmmakers and other professionals.

• The actor says Ghana and other African countries should not compare themselves with established nations that have had centuries to build strong institutions and systems.

Speaking during an interview on Y107.9 FM in Accra on October 28, the actor described the debate as unfair, insisting that the two countries cannot reasonably be judged by the same standards.

To illustrate his point, Michel compared the populations of the two countries to families of different sizes. He argued that a family with 50 children would naturally have a greater chance of producing more doctors, criminals and talented individuals than one with just five children.

He said;

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The actor maintained that Nigeria’s significantly larger population gives it a natural numerical advantage in areas such as filmmaking and other professions.

He further questioned why Ghana should be expected to match Nigeria's output when the two countries have vastly different population figures.

He added;

Michel also broadened the discussion, arguing that Ghana and other African countries should be cautious about comparing their progress with that of nations that have had centuries to develop their institutions and systems.

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According to him, the continent is still at an early stage of establishing the structures needed to support fully developed industries.

He said;

He argued that countries with longer histories of institutional development have had more time to establish systems that support growth, placing African nations at a different starting point.

He added;

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His remarks add to the ongoing conversation about the differences between Ghana’s film industry, often referred to as Ghallywood, and Nigeria’s Nollywood.

The debate has frequently centred on production output, international visibility, investment and the influence of actors and filmmakers from both countries.

However, Michel believes that such comparisons fail to account for the differences in population, resources, infrastructure and the length of time each country's institutions have had to develop.

For the actor, Ghana’s film industry should be assessed with these realities in mind rather than being measured against Nigeria’s considerably larger entertainment market.