‘Many Northern Millionaires, Politicians Don’t Believe In Kannywood’ – Uzee Usman

Nollywood actor Uzee Usman has said the growth of Kannywood, Nigeria’s Hausa-language film industry, has been slowed by a lack of support from wealthy northerners and politicians.

Speaking in a recent interview on The Morayo Show, Usman said Kannywood has been around for many years and is known for its rich storytelling, but the industry has not grown as expected because of poor sponsorship and investment.

According to him, many wealthy people in Northern Nigeria do not believe in investing in the entertainment industry the way people in the South support Nollywood.

“Despite being around for a while and having good stories, I think the major issue affecting Kannywood is the lack of sponsorship and investment.

“Many northerners who are millionaires and politicians don’t really believe in or invest in the entertainment industry the way people in the South (Nollywood) do,” he said.

Speaking about his role in A Tribe Called Judah, Usman described playing the character Adamu as one of the most challenging roles of his career.

He, however, praised actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele for making the job easier by helping the cast understand and interpret their roles.

“It is one of the most challenging characters I have played although Funke as a director made it easier for us because we were working and having fun. She helped us to interpret our roles,” he said.

Usman also spoke about his relationship with Funke Akindele, saying they knew each other before filming the movie but were not close.

According to him, they became close after working together, adding that he admires her for treating people with respect and showing love to those around her.

“I knew her before the production of A Tribe Called Judah but we were not close. She is someone who appreciates people and speaks to them with respect. After the movie, we became very close and I love her very much because of the way she loves people around her,” he said.