topnaijanews Stay informed with the latest Nigerian news at your fingertips
In a heartfelt and candid open letter to her younger self, seasoned Nollywood director Jade Osiberu shared the story of her bold leap into the film industry.
Through the letter, she offers a reflection on her journey, a glimpse into her fears, and the tenacity that shaped her path to becoming one of the most prominent figures in Nigerian cinema today.
Jade begins her letter by addressing her 29-year-old self, a woman on the precipice of change. Reflecting on this moment, Jade recounts the mixed reactions from those around her.
While some friends supported her aspirations, their underlying doubts were palpable. Others openly voiced scepticism, suggesting she might fade into irrelevance without the institutional backing she had grown accustomed to.
“You’ve just spent the last 5 years building @ndanitv from the ground up and you’re terrified to start again as you resign from your job to start your own company. You don’t know much about the business of film, all you have is a delulu dream that you can build something and that now is the time to take that leap. Some friends tell you they think you’ll fade into irrelevance without the backing of the biggest bank in Nigeria, some encourage you to pursue your dreams but you can sense their doubts. You leap anyway,” she said.
READ ALSO: Top 10 Nollywood cinema releases of the year
Facing fear and learning resilience she addresses her younger self, acknowledging the fears and self-doubt that plagued her early journey, urging her past self to be less scared and more forgiving of her own perceived shortcomings.
“39-year-old Jade wishes she could tell you to not be so scared, to not be so hard on yourself, to learn to celebrate your wins and not bury your head in shame when you think you’ve failed because you actually never did fail. Every experience is moulding you, the uncertainties will never really leave, in fact, the stakes will only get bigger, but you will be bigger too, bigger in skill, in spirit, in heart and you’ll be able to wither many storms. I bet in a decade, 49-year-old Jade would say to me now, Oh girl, we were just getting started!” she continued.
Building Greoh Studios which is a dream realised, Osiberu reflects on how she has built the company brick by brick. Through her letter, Jade pays tribute to the journey of creating this studio.
“Here’s to building @greohstudios brick by brick. Here’s to a very bright future for the industry (it’ll take a shit ton of work to get there, but Naija no dey carry last, we’re ready!) Here’s to Nigerian Cinema!” she concluded.
