Why Chris Attoh left Ghana for Nigeria

Speaking in an interview with 3Music TV on February 29, 2024, he said he moved to Nigeria because he wanted to reach a bigger market and audience, as Ghana was too small for his ambitions.

He said Nigeria had a vibrant and prolific film industry that offered more opportunities and collaborations.

“At the time, the necessity was that you had to be in the Nigerian space if you wanted a bigger market or a bigger audience. Ghana was great, but the truth is, Ghana is small, and if you are trying to get the attention of players beyond Ghana, not just Nigeria, you have to expand.

“And Nigeria has numbers, Nigeria is making films every single day. I’m always looking forward to where we’re collaborating instead of being separated,” he said.

Commenting on the lack of buoyancy in the current Ghanaian movie industry, he lamented the lack of mentorship and guidance for creatives in the Ghanaian movie industry, saying that he did not have the right people to show him the way when he was growing up.

He said he had a burden on his heart to help the younger generation of filmmakers to improve their skills and standards.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of not wanting to push ourselves, growing up, we didn’t have the right mentors, we didn’t have people who brought us up and would take your hand and say this is the way. And it’s become a thing that’s heavy on my heart,” he said.

Commenting on some of the challenges he faced while practising outside Ghana, he stressed the importance of constant learning and reading for the actors and actresses.

He said Ghanaian filmmakers had to “come correct” when they represented Ghana on the global stage, as they were excellent people.

“It’s like any other industry, It’s growing, it’s updating, and you need to constantly learn. It means every single morning you have to rehearse, it means reading outside your scope, and reading is one thing I keep pushing for, especially to our youth today. How can you take control of the words on your script if you don’t have command of the English language?” he said.

Chris Attoh is a Ghanaian actor, film director, on-air personality, television presenter and producer.

He is best known as “Kwame Mensah” in the Nigerian soap opera Tinsel and has been involved in a host of other movies worldwide including “Shuga,” “Single and Married,” and “Inspector Bediako.”

Watch the full interview below