AMAKA IGWE: DEATH OF A NOLLYWOOD COLOSSUS

- HER UNFULFILLED DREAMS

Amaka Igwe

Nigerian film-maker and Nollywood icon Amaka Igwe is dead. The sad incident occurred in Enugu where she had gone, in company of her husband, for pre-production preparations for a new Igbo soap. It was gathered that she suffered an asthma attack and was immediately rushed to the hospital after initial interventions had failed. She passed on before getting to the hospital. 

Amaka with husband, Charles Igwe

Amaka Igwe is survived by her husband, Charles Igwe, three children, an aged mother, siblings and a large extended family. Just last January, she and her siblings had hosted a befitting 80th birthday celebration for their mother, Madam Patience Ijeoma Isaac Ene in Enugu, Enugu State. Also, barely ten days ago, she celebrated her 21st wedding anniversary. 

Amaka Igwe

Amaka on her wedding day, April 1993

 Amaka Igwe was an accomplished writer, producer, director, entrepreneur and teacher. She was the founder of BoBTV Expo, founder and CEO of Top Radio 90.9FM, Amaka Igwe Studios, and the newly-launched Q Entertainment Networks. The Lagos mainland based Top Radio station was launched years ago, with preparations underway to launch Q Networks, a DSTV channel in a few weeks. A visionary and pioneer of modern Nigerian TV drama and film, Amaka Igwe (nee Isaac Ene) was born on January 2, 1963. Until her death, she was the singularly most important woman in the creation and evolution of Nollywood. Starting out as a young Lecturer Assistant at the then Anambra State University, Amaka Igwe dedicated her young adult life to the creation of Checkmate (a Soap-Opera that leveraged on the previous success of Lola Fani-Kayode's Mirror in The Sun). Her star actors were the first stars of Nollywood. Her Rattlesnake movie trilogy, though came out a few weeks after Living in Bondage, was the first artistic success of Nollywood's videography. With her Fuji House of Commotion, Amaka redefined the landscape of Situation Comedy on national TV. Married to ex-banker-turned-Film producer/marketer Charles Igwe in April 1993, Amaka was Nollywood's female colossus. And together, Amaka & Charles Igwe strove to evolve a seismic paradigm shrift in Entertainment Content provision in Nigeria, the latest being TOP FM Radio, Lagos. Toe-to-Toe with men she stood. In recognition, she was awarded national honours as Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR). 

Amaka Igwe studied Education/Religion at the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University). She had a Master’s Degree from the University of Ibadan. She had her early education at All Saints School (Now Trans Ekulu Primary School), Girls High School Awkunanaw, Enugu and Idia College, Benin. Interestingly, Amaka Igwe wanted to study law but officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculated Board (JAMB) offered her a chance to study Education and Religious Study instead. From OAU, Mrs Igwe signed the MNET short celluloid film ‘Barbers Wisdom’ as director and then proceeded to the University of Ibadan where she grabbed a master degree in Library and Information Services. She married her longtime partner Charles Igwe in 1993. They had three kids together – Ruby, David and Daniel. She worked as a lecturer at the Anambra State University of Technology and briefly in an Oil and Gas firm, before settling for the motion picture industry. Mrs Igwe will be remembered for raising the bar in movie and TV production in Nigeria, creating high standards with her company Amaka Igwe Studios at a time when Nollywood wasn’t taken serious, for not conforming to low standards as a means to achieving success and inspiring many Nigerian movie makers.