Amaka Igwe: She came, she saw, she made a difference

An oral narrative of the events that transpired in the movies was absolutely unsatisfactory and rather than satisfy the hunger to know about themovies, such narratives further whetted the appetite. The hunger was only quenched after you had seen the movies and could confidently join in the conversations about them. Even at that, it is […]

An oral narrative of the events that transpired in the movies was absolutely unsatisfactory and rather than satisfy the hunger to know about themovies, such narratives further whetted the appetite. The hunger was only quenched after you had seen the movies and could confidently join in the conversations about them. Even at that, it is unlikely that there was anybody who watched any of the movies, only once. Such was the effect that an Amaka Igwe production had on her audience.
Hardly recovering from these phenomenal works, Igwe in 2009 gave her fast growing fan base a chance to be a part of her next blockbuster ‘Fuji House of Commotion.’ Creating a page for the then upcoming television series on Facebook, she invited all to ‘Please help advice the writer. What do you think should happen in the house of commotion?’  Shortly after, via the same medium, she threw the opportunity open for anyone interested to attend the auditions: ‘Hi all my friends that are itching to act. I am working on 2 soaps and a film. Auditions come up early May. Please pick up forms from my office. (Find it!) We are looking for good actors with good spoken English, Yoruba and Igbo. Ages 21 – 70, Male and Female. Do spread the word.’
Again, this production was another must-watch as nobody seemed to want to be told of the events which made up the various episodes. Fans rushed home to catch the episode showing for the day or waited to see the rebroadcasts the following day. This brought a whole new experience to watching and appreciating soap operas in Nigeria. An experience rivalled only by that of watching Mexican soaps from ‘The rich also cry’ through to the ‘Second Chance’ era. Fans like Evans Ile even suggested that “the producer of this wonderful work of art should introduce an episode by episode vcd/dvd as to give us the opportunity of enjoying the fun anytime you wish.”
She took on this interactive and feedback format with her subsequent works like ‘Now we are married.’ Her fans always made a contribution to her works as she also influenced a lot of them to carry on with their chosen paths as filmmakers. One of such people is the award-winning director, Kenneth Gyang.
“When I was schooling at the Nigerian Film Institute, I was a bit disillusioned at some of the films I was watching, it was like, we just couldn’t make good films. Then a fellow student travelled to Lagos and came back with a short film called ‘A Barber’s Wisdom’. It was the best film I had seen back then. It gave me hope that we could make wonderful films in Nigeria,” Gyang said.
“I cannot exactly tell you how I felt, but this was a major drive for me to do the very best I could with my creativity. Here I am today, a living proof of her being an inspiration,” he added.
One of Nollywood’s ace producers and directors, Fidelis Duker, describes Amaka Igwe as one of the very few creative people who have consistently showed committed and devotion to the industry. “She was loving, detailed and brilliant and committed; a creative genius,” he said.
For Victor Okhai, who had worked with her on various platforms, Mrs. Igwe was “an amazon and a trailblazer. She had a passion for excellence and was a passionate believer in the Nollywood dream.”
Lead character of Jeta Amata’s ‘Black November,’ Enyinna Nwigwe, counts Amaka Igwe amongst the top five greats in the creation of Nollywood and number one among the female-folk. “Her TV series, ‘Checkmate’ and ‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ were major game changers and her ‘Rattle Snake’ movie remains a classic and further raised the bar in Nollywood after ‘Living in Bondage.’ Amaka Igwe, she was a trailblazer; a mother, sister and friend to all, and will be greatly missed. Nollywood has indeed lost a legend, Heaven gained one!”
Mr. Agility Onwurah, Chairman, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Abuja Chapter, had on Tuesday confirmed the death to the News Agency of Nigeria and said, Amaka’s demise was a big blow to the Nollywood industry.
“Amaka had gone to Enugu in company of her husband for pre-production of a new Igbo soap when the sad incident occurred.
“She suffered an asthma attack and was immediately rushed to a hospital, but died before getting there.”
Born Amaka Isaac-Ene, the Education/Religion graduate of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, who originally intended to study Law, was an accomplished writer, director, producer, entrepreneur and teacher.
Following her first degree, she signed the MNET short celluloid film ‘Barbers Wisdom’ as director, before acquiring a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Ibadan and then fully continuing her path in filmmaking.
She founded the BoB TV Expo, and was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Top Radio 90.9 FM, Amaka Igwe Studios, and the newly-launched Q Entertainment Networks, soon to be launched on DSTV.
Amaka is survived by her husband of 21 years, Charles Igwe, three children: Ruby, David and Daniel and an aged mother. Her departure will no doubt leave a void in Nigeria’s film industry.