Veteran Nollywood actor Yemi Solade has stirred conversation in Nigeria’s film industry with his recent declaration that he is senior to legendary actor Pete Edochie in terms of acting experience, despite being younger in age.
Speaking during a recent episode of the podcast “Father’s Path with Tope,” Solade opened up about his decades-long journey in the Nigerian film industry, particularly within the Yoruba arm of Nollywood. The actor emphasized his pioneering role in Nigerian theatre and cinema and provided detailed historical context to support his claim.
“I’m senior to Pete Edochie. I started acting before him, though he’s older than me. I was 17 in 1977 when I represented Nigeria as the youngest actor, and I’ve done 48 years in the industry and still standing,” Solade revealed.
He used the opportunity to correct what he sees as a common misconception regarding the origins of Nollywood. According to him, the Yoruba film industry predates the emergence of what is now popularly referred to as Nollywood. However, a lack of documentation and archiving has caused the Yoruba film pioneers to be largely overlooked in historical narratives.
“My people in the Yoruba setting didn’t document anything; that was why the other people in the industry just stepped in to say they started it. ‘Hey shut up’; when people like us are here, we will let you know you didn’t start anything,” he stated firmly.
Solade credited key Yoruba trailblazers such as Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala, Ade Afolayan, and filmmaker Dr. Ola Balogun for laying the foundation of the Nigerian film industry long before Nollywood became widely recognized.
He also named Ade Ajiboye, popularly known as Big Abass, as the first Nigerian to produce a home video. Solade explained that early Yoruba productions were often filmed using camcorders, then distributed on VHS cassettes, which were sold alongside books in stores.
“We had film, the celluloid and everything… Even when home video was starting, it was just an experiment,” he said, emphasizing how the Yoruba filmmakers were already building a structured system long before the term “Nollywood” gained traction.
Solade expressed frustration over the continued marginalization of Yoruba contributions, attributing it to a lack of publicity and structured promotion. According to him, the absence of early media and digital documentation allowed other ethnic segments of Nollywood to dominate the narrative.
He also mentioned that iconic Yoruba actors such as Adebayo Salami and Jide Kosoko are living witnesses to the Yoruba industry's early beginnings and can testify to the depth and legacy of their contributions.
His comments have since sparked mixed reactions on social media, especially after a clip from the interview went viral. Many users weighed in on the generational debate, with some supporting his claims and others urging for unity and mutual respect across Nollywood’s diverse ethnic sectors.
Watch the video below …
Pete Edochie is trending because veteran, Yemi Solade emphatically said Nollywood Icon, Pete Edochie is his junior in the industry. — False..
And, Yorubas started filmmaking in Nigeria. — Plausible.
In the trending video which is about a week old, Yemi said Yorubas were poor at… pic.twitter.com/UXIYuwh5Z8
— Trending Explained (@TrendingEx) July 23, 2025