Chico Ejiro facts for kids

Chico Ejiro (born Chico Maziakpono) was a famous Nigerian movie director, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for making many movies very quickly, especially during the 1990s. People called him "Mr. Prolific" because he made so many films! He passed away on Christmas Day, December 25, 2020.

Who Was Chico Ejiro?

Chico Ejiro was born in a place called Isoko, in Delta State, Nigeria. He first studied agriculture, which is about farming. But he soon became interested in making movies. He got into video production because people in Nigeria were not buying blank video cassettes. He saw a chance to make movies for them to watch instead!

How Chico Ejiro Became "Mr. Prolific"

Chico Ejiro was nicknamed "Mr. Prolific" because he made a huge number of movies. He directed over 80 films in just five years! Each of these movies was filmed very quickly, sometimes in as little as three days. His films often told stories that were important and interesting to Nigerians.

The exact number of movies he worked on is not fully known. But by 2007, it was thought to be in the hundreds. His work was part of a big change in Nigerian filmmaking that started in the 1990s. This was when it became much easier and cheaper to make movies using video equipment.

Chico Ejiro in the News

Chico Ejiro's amazing work even got attention from big international newspapers and magazines. He was featured in an article in The New York Times on May 26, 2002. The article was called "When There's Too Much of a Not-Very-Good Thing." He was also in an article in Time Magazine on the same day, titled "Hollywood, Who Really Needs It?" These articles showed how important his work was in the world of movies.

Chico Ejiro's Family

Chico Ejiro was married to Joy Ejiro, and they had four children together. He also had two brothers who were involved in movies. His brother, Zeb Ejiro, is a well-known Nigerian filmmaker outside of Nigeria. His other brother, Peter Red Ejiro, is also a movie producer.

His Legacy and Documentaries

Chico Ejiro's work was so important that he was featured in a documentary film in 2007. The documentary was called Welcome to Nollywood. It followed him as he made two of his movies, Family Affair 1 and Family Affair 2. This documentary helped people around the world understand how movies are made in Nigeria.

Chico Ejiro died on December 25, 2020. He left behind a huge collection of films that changed the way movies were made and watched in Nigeria.