By the early 1990s, many of Nigeria’s old cinemas had closed or turned into churches and warehouses. Insecurity, economic crisis and home video had driven audiences away. Then, in 2004, a gleaming new building opened on Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island, Lagos. Silverbird Galleria offered modern screens, air conditioning, popcorn and shopping. Lagosians returned to the cinema, and a new chapter in Nigerian film began.
The decline and Silverbird's success
Cinema-going had been popular in Nigeria in the 1970s and early 1980s, but economic hardship and crime led to closures. The rise of Nollywood home video in the 1990s gave audiences films at home, further reducing demand for cinemas. The Silverbird Group, founded by Ben Murray-Bruce, opened Silverbird Galleria in 2004, combining a multiplex cinema with shops and restaurants.
The Galleria drew crowds, showing that there was demand for a safe, modern cinema experience. Genesis Cinemas, Filmhouse, Ozone and others followed, opening cinemas in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other cities.
Nollywood in cinemas
Nollywood producers began making films for cinema release, with higher budgets and better production values. Films such as The Wedding Party, A Trip to Jamaica and later A Tribe Called Judah set box office records. Cinemas also screen Hollywood blockbusters, which remain a major source of revenue. Cinema operators face high costs, power problems and competition from streaming.
The December holiday season is the busiest period for Nigerian cinemas. Murray-Bruce later became a senator and remains a well-known media figure. The cinema revival helped create the New Nollywood era of cinema-focused films.
A night out and ticket prices
Going to the cinema became a fashionable night out for young Lagosians, combining films with food and shopping. Weekend crowds at Silverbird showed that cinemas could be social spaces as well as places to watch films. Cinemas later opened in cities such as Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Enugu, spreading the revival beyond Lagos. Red carpet premieres at cinemas became major events in Nollywood’s calendar.
Ticket prices remain a barrier for many Nigerians, who still watch films at home. Silverbird Galleria brought back the big screen to a country that had almost forgotten it. Two decades later, Nollywood’s biggest hits are measured by what they earn there.
