I Started Acting Before Pete Edochie, Yemi Solade Challenges Industry’s Origin Story

Nollywood veteran Yemi Solade has sparked debate in the Nigerian film community by asserting that he began his acting career before the legendary Pete Edochie, despite Edochie’s seniority in age.

Solade made these remarks during a recent interview on the show Father’s Path with Tope, where he reflected on his early experiences in the film industry and addressed widespread misconceptions about Nollywood’s beginnings.

According to Solade, the Yoruba film industry laid the crucial groundwork for what Nollywood is today. However, its early contributions have been largely overlooked, primarily because of limited documentation and scant media coverage during its formative years.

“I started acting before Pete Edochie, even though he’s older than me. I was 17 in 1977 when I represented Nigeria as the youngest actor. I have been in this industry for 48 years and I’m still standing,” Solade declared confidently.

He also highlighted the pivotal role of Yoruba pioneers like Ade Ajiboye, whom he identified as the producer of Nigeria’s first home video. Solade paid homage to other trailblazers such as Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala, Ade Afolayan, and filmmaker Dr. Ola Balogun, emphasizing that their early work set the stage for today’s thriving film industry.

Solade explained that before the home video era, dramatisations were already widespread. The introduction of camcorders turned these performances into videos that were distributed as cassettes, allowing audiences wider access.

“The first Nigerian to shoot a home video was Ade Ajiboye. We were already doing drama well before home videos came along . When home videos began, it was still experimental, pioneered by people like the late Muyideen Alade Aromire. It was a gradual process where shop owners started selling the cassettes to the public.”

Solade also criticised the popular narrative that credits the 1992 Igbo-language film Living in Bondage as the official birth of Nollywood. He argued that the movie gained prominence largely because its creators engaged the media, unlike many Yoruba filmmakers who prioritized their craft over publicity.

“My people in the Yoruba film industry didn’t document our work. That’s why others came in claiming to have started Nollywood. But when veterans like me speak, the truth comes out, we didn’t start from nothing. Living in Bondage was not the first movie; it just gained attention because they courted the media, while Yoruba filmmakers were focused on their work without media fanfare,” Solade explained.

His remarks shed light on an often overlooked chapter in Nigerian cinema history and reignite discussions about the true origins of Nollywood.