Amaka Igwe

On 28 April 2014, Nigerian filmmaker and broadcasting executive Amaka Igwe died at the age of 51 in Enugu, Nigeria. Igwe was the owner of Top Radio 90.9 Lagos and Amaka Igwe Studios. She was recognised as one of the second-generation filmmakers who helped begin the video film era of Nigerian cinema. 

Uzoamaka Audrey 'Amaka' Igwe was born on 2 January 1963 in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. During her A-Levels at Idia College, Benin, Igwe began to explore her creative side. She taught people the Atilogwu dance, and competed nationally. She also began writing plays and songs. Igwe studied Education/Religion at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). From OAU, Igwe joined the MNET short celluloid film 'Barbers Wisdom' as director and then proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where she obtained a master's degree in Library and Information Sciences. Igwe spent her time during her National Youth Service Corps as a travelling secretary for the Scripture Union. She then worked at the Anambra State University of Technology as an executive director at Eida Information Systems before settling in the creative industry.

Igwe hit Nigerian limelight as the writer and producer of the award-winning TV soap ‘Checkmate’ and its offshoot ‘Fuji House of Commotion’. Her Nollywood projects include 'Rattle snake' and 'Violated', which set Amaka Igwe Studios apart in the video film era of Nigerian cinema. She founded BOBTV Exp., and was the founder and CEO of the Lagos mainland-based Top Radio 90.9FM station, the Amaka Igwe Studios, Q Entertainment Networks, and DSTV channel.

Igwe won a number of awards during her career. In 2011, Nigeria recognized her substantial efforts and immense contributions to the creative industry by awarding her with the Nigerian National Order of 'MFR' (Member of The Federal Republic of Nigeria).

(Source: Wikipedia)

Selected publications

Women and Representations in Nollywood: Questions of Production and Direction / Agatha Ada Ukata.
In: Liddy, S. (eds) Women in the International Film Industry. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham,2020.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39070-9_18

Canonizing Trash: A Study of Three Nollywood Directors / Olusegun A. Soetan. - Dissertation, University of Wisconsin, 2019

Under their shadows: an examination of female domination of Nollywood / Armstrong Idachaba Aduku.
In: Makurdi Journal of Arts and Culture, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 96-102, 2018
http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/136/

Improving the Nigerian film industry through film education: An action research study / Badewa T. Adejugbe-Williams. -  Dissertation, Capella University, 2016.

Nollywood 2 doing it right : the phenomenal success of the Nigerian film and video industry is now at a pivotal stage / Jane Thorburn [et al.] - London : University of Westminster, 2009

Interviews with Amaka Igwe, Tunde Kelani, and Kenneth Nnebue / Uzoma Esonwanne.
In: Research in African literatures, vol. 39, no. 4, p. 24-39, 2008

Nollywood just doing it : Nigeria's vibrant multi-billion -naira independent movie industry produces over 2000 video drams a year : this is the story so far / Jane Thorburn [et al.] - London : University of Westminster, 2009

A barber's wisdom / Amaka Igwe; Tajuddeen Adepetu. - [Johannesburg : Sasani Film], 2000

See also: Spotlight: Amaka Igwe / Dika Ofoma. - Invisible Women : Bringing female filmmakers from archives to screens, 11 January 2022. (Accessed on 19-04-2022)

Watch also on Youtube: Amaka's kin : the women of Nollywood  / Tope Oshin, 2016

Timeline of Nigerian women film directors via Wikidata and DBpedia