Genevieve Nnaji marks 20 years in Nollywood

Veteran Nollywood actress and film maker, Genevieve Nnaji, celebrated two decades in the film sector with a reflective New Year post.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nnaji, through her Twitter handle @GenevieveNnaji1, shared an appreciative message to her fans, which doubled as her New Year message.

Sharing a picture of ‘Lion Heart’s script, she wrote, “As 2018 comes to an end, I mark 20 years in the art of film making. I am grateful for my life, journey, and growth thus far’’.

“I am happy I could celebrate with you through a product that embodied all of me mentally and spiritually, for all of your pleasure. I love you guys! Happy New Year,” Nnaji said.

Nnaji, who recently premiered her directorial debut, ‘Lion Heart’, began acting at the age of 19 in 1998 with the movie, ‘Most Wanted’.

The 39-year-old won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actress to win the award.

Nnaji was one of the best paid actresses in Nollywood in 2009, and was the first actress to be awarded Best Actress at the 2001 City Peoples Awards.

She was also the first actress to bag the Best Actress award, by the Censors Board of Nigeria in 2003. In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey

In 2011, she was honoured with the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic award by the Federal Government for her contributions to Nollywood.

In 2015, Nnaji produced her first movie, ‘Road to Yesterday’, which won Best Movie Overall-West Africa at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).

On Sept. 7, 2018, her directorial debut, ‘Lion Heart’, was acquired by online streaming service, Netflix; making it the first Netflix original film from Nigeria. (NAN)