Onuma: The Intrapreneur Steering Silverbird Cinemas Into a New Era

After nearly two decades of shaping cinema operations across Nigeria and Ghana, Olufumilayo Marian Onuma has emerged as one of the most influential voices in West Africa’s exhibition landscape. An intrapreneur at heart, she has led expansions, navigated industry transformations, and championed Nollywood’s rise on the big screen. In this conversation with Oluchi Chibuzor, she reflects on her career journey, the evolution of the cinema industry, policy gaps, the place of women in entertainment leadership, and the future of the big screen in Nigeria.

Who is Olufumilayo Marian Onuma?

My name is Olufumilayo Marian Onuma. With 19 years at Silverbird (17 officially), my career has spanned roles from joining the construction team (ibom tropicana) to overseeing retail bookstores and managing operations of the lifestyle stores in Port Harcourt, Abuja, and my last assignment Ghana, where I spent a decade. During this time, Silverbird Ghana was turned into a resounding success before returning to Nigeria to take up the role as the General Manager, Silverbird Cinemas West africa,

I have an MBA in business Administration, certifications in marketing and project management, and lifelong memberships in organizations like WIMBIZ (Women in Management, Business and Public Service), I’ve been there for over a decade.
In Ghana, I’m part of the Ghana Executive Women’s Organisation.

I started in construction; that was my first contract job though my background was in banking and finance but I never worked in one. But the financial training proved invaluable, because in managing this type of business, you deal with bankers, tax bodies, and regulatory authorities. Understanding money is key.

Silverbird Cinema is Nigeria’s pioneering cinema chain, serving as the industry’s testing ground.
While all reports and data were built on our early experiences; we were the first to test the waters.
Being part of this brand has taken me far and near. In 2020, I was the only Black woman among 50 global cinema leaders nominated for recognition, and has been nominated as one of the world’s top women in cinemas for three straight years.

I’m the first woman to occupy the role as the General Manager, West Africa, Silverbird Cinema.
The journey to General Manager was emotional because I never saw myself in this role. As a mother, your growth can slow down as you may tend to prioritize family. And I’ve had to prioritised my children and marriage at certain times in my career.

What is the role of professional association in shaping women in Nigeria?

WIMBIZ helped me to make progress, seeing women thriving in careers and homes inspired me to forward in my career. One of my struggles was the lack of female mentors in the industry. We were the pioneers, so there aren’t many women to call on.

During our time, we saw Nollywood pick up during the Goodluck Jonathan era, with the introduction of the Nolly Fund that accelerated growth.

New entrants like Filmhouse, Genesis, and Viva built on Silverbird’s blueprint, fostering a collaborative ecosystem.
We wrote the script, and they expanded it and we’re happy about that. While some of the owners of these cinemas are men, there are women who run cinemas now and we are peers.

With your 17 years of experience, what is the future of Nigerian cinema—especially with the competition Nollywood has brought?

The future is very bright. I compare cinemas to football. The experience of watching a game at home versus watching it live in the stadium is not the same. There will always be people who want the big-screen experience.

We don’t even have enough cinemas in Nigeria. We have fewer than 11 cinema brands and about 110 locations across the country. That’s not enough. Producers need more screens to make more money.

The main issue is a lack of funding and support. Funding exists, but the demands are high. Partnerships are also needed. Many banks are just beginning to understand the creative sector. This year, more banks launched funds to support the industry. We also had the African Film Finance event in Lagos, where I’m an advisory board member. Bankers had deal rooms for producers to pitch films.

People have learned from past mistakes, you don’t always need massive buildings; community cinemas can work. The industry has various entry points: equipment rental, building malls with cinema spaces, and creating environments where entertainment thrives.

A major gap is skills. We don’t have university programs in cinema management or cinema technology. We only have film and cinematography.

There is a real skill and knowledge gap. Cinema-specific training, like cost of sales, pricing popcorn, tax, and maintenance doesn’t exist in schools. We can mentor, but proper schools are needed. There is a skill gap, a knowledge gap, and a funding gap.

You were present during Silverbird’s early years and witnessed new cinemas emerge. How did it feel watching the industry grow?

Wonderful. I believe the sky is big enough for everyone to shine. Rating yourself against yourself is boring. I thrive on challenges. I thrive in chaos and uncertainty. My clarity is intact in those moments.

The fact that we’re still standing after two decades is proof of strength. Silverbird is 45 years old. In Nigeria alone, we’ve been here for decades. We’ve expanded and maintained operations outside Nigeria for 16 years in Ghana. No one else has done that.

The vision of our founder, Mr Ben Murray-Bruce, is a big part of this. He doesn’t see impossibilities. Our group president, Mr Guy Murray-Bruce, understands success and continuity.

So who are your competitors?

We are part of a bigger ecosystem. Cinema is only one Business within the Silverbird Group, there are new cinema brands but they haven’t fallen where we fell or explored what we explored. We applaud their presence, but we don’t really see them as competition.

What policies do you think Nigeria needs to expand cinema beyond major cities?

I must commend this administration and our Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy. She is very involved, travelling, engaging, and supporting the sector. We also have a great DG of the Censorship Board, he has an open-door policy. I was in his office two weeks ago. The biggest need is money and funding.

We are not where we used to be. There was an eight-year period when the sector was ignored. Now we have a voice again. With the minister’s involvement, I believe the next year will bring big growth.
We’ve seen more Nigerian productions doing well this year. December will be fantastic; we’ll smile at the bank.

How can cinemas become more accessible to children and rural communities?

It’s in the works. At Silverbird, we are planning an expansion drive for 2026. People complain about pricing and taxes. The government wants us to pay more tax so they can help the sector, so we need time for policies to align.

We’ve given the government a checklist and a wish list. Many items on that list require time. We can’t complain without acknowledging progress. For years, it was just us. Now every part of the industry: cinemas, distributors, producers has representation.

As a woman, how has your passion in this field evolved?

Oh yes, I’m excited. When I look back, as a young woman, it was just about going to work. No social media content creation like today. Our era was: finish school, get a job. I travelled a lot back then,

Marriage made me question if this was for me. I almost ran away. But what keeps me going is the success of movie producers, their smiles, the reviews, and seeing children come into our cinemas happy .

There was a time when Nollywood was 5 per cent of cinema content. Now it’s over 60 per cent. Nigerian films have grown. Everyone involved, from caterers to makeup artists benefits.
PwC estimates the industry turns over $2 billion annually.

Careers that didn’t exist 10 years ago now exist, like entertainment lawyers, IP specialists, and structured contracts.
We’ve moved from analogue to digital to laser projection. Piracy has reduced drastically. Everything has changed. My dream is to see cinema management and technology taught in Nigerian universities. Abroad they already do this.

Have streaming and others affected cinemas?

Not really. We don’t show the same films. Cinemas and streaming are different markets. Watching a film at home is not like experiencing reactions in a hall—laughter, shock, strangers bonding, and children crying during Marvel scenes. People have met their spouses in cinemas! So many friendships have started here. That shared experience helps with mental health too. Streaming can’t replicate that.

As the first woman to lead the pioneer cinema brand, what legacy do you want to leave?

I’ve already started. I’ve created a workplace where staff enjoy coming in, have fun while making money, and still meet targets. My focus now is stability and giving back by mentoring younger people, not just women but men too.
I’m passionate about people’s growth and transformation.

How have you managed the challenge of balancing career and family?

I write about this on LinkedIn in my “African Mumboss Series.” The key is support—team at home, staff treated as family, not as domestic workers. If I travel or go for a meeting, my family is sorted because the home is stable.

My husband understands my “why.” I love my job, I love results, and I don’t quit when things get tough. I drop my kids at school every morning, and sometimes pick them up. My youngest is 12, so I no longer have a baby. Hybrid work helps. Ultimately, it has been God.

Are you excited about more female film producers emerging?

I’m gender-neutral professionally. It’s not about being a woman or man, it’s about the story. Customers want good stories, not gender labels. Producers like Femi Adebayo have evolved: Seven Doors, Jagun Jagun.

Then we have Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham, Daniel Etim Effiong, Bolanle Austen-Peters, they’ve all done well. Some movies make people come back four or five times.

Acrimony had women renting halls to debate who was right or wrong. That’s the beauty of cinema. As for women in business-side roles, we are very few. So yes, I’m happy to see growth on all sides.