Why Did Lere Paimo Say He Started Acting Before Pete Edochie?
Booromi's Answer
Research-backed answer from the Booromi editorial team.
Veteran Yoruba actor Lere Paimo has publicly stated that he began his acting career in 1958, placing his professional start four years ahead of the timeline given by fellow veteran Pete Edochie. The comment came in response to Edochie’s recent assertion that his own career began in 1962 with a school performance of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice when he was 15. Paimo’s clarification, delivered in an interview with actor Kunle Afod, has reopened discussions about seniority, the roots of Nigerian theatre, and how different performance traditions fit into the broader story of the industry.
The Direct Claim and Its Context
Paimo, now 86, told Kunle Afod that he was already active on stage in 1958. He recalled meeting Hubert Ogunde, whom he described as senior to him and other practitioners of that era. At the time, he said, substantial productions were already being staged. This statement directly counters Edochie’s challenge to any actor who claimed an earlier start to come forward with evidence.
Edochie had framed his 1962 Shakespeare performance as proof of how far back his work extended, and he invited others to substantiate any earlier claims. Paimo answered that invitation by anchoring his own timeline in the Yoruba travelling-theatre tradition rather than English-language stage work.
Why the 1958 Date Matters
The four-year gap is significant because it situates Paimo firmly within the established indigenous theatre movement that predated the rise of English-language film and television productions often associated with later Nollywood stars. Paimo began professionally with the Oyin Adejobi Theatre Group. He later worked with Duro Ladipo’s company, taking on roles such as Chief Basa in the stage production Obamoro. His early film recognition came with the role of Soun Ogunola in the 1963 epic Ogbori Elemosho.
By citing 1958, Paimo places himself among the generation that carried forward the live-performance culture Hubert Ogunde helped popularize in the 1940s. Ogunde’s companies produced plays in Yoruba that combined entertainment with social messaging, travelling across communities long before cinema became widespread. Paimo argued that historical records show no English-language film industry operating in Nigeria before that Yoruba theatrical foundation.
The Broader Argument About Industry Origins
Paimo used the conversation to push back against any narrative that treats English-language productions as the starting point of Nigerian acting. He noted that when Ogunde began in the 1940s, no earlier figure was widely documented in the same way. He added that audiences of the period were educated and entertained through Yoruba-language performances. English-speaking movie production, in his view, arrived later with broader cultural shifts.
He was careful not to overclaim absolute primacy for every individual. When asked about other early practitioners such as Baba Olumegbon, Paimo said he had heard the name for a long time but could not confirm whether that figure predated Ogunde. His own certainty rested on the documented activity of Ogunde and the theatre groups he himself joined in the late 1950s.
This perspective highlights a longstanding tension in discussions of Nigerian screen and stage history. One strand emphasizes the travelling theatre companies and their transition into film. Another focuses on school and radio drama, English-language stage work, and the later video-film boom of the 1990s. Paimo’s remarks insist that the former tradition is both earlier and foundational.
How the Debate Reflects Industry Memory
Seniority claims among veterans often serve as more than personal milestones. They function as assertions about which cultural lineage deserves recognition as the root of today’s industry. When Edochie pointed to a 1962 Shakespeare performance, he located his entry in a formal educational and literary context. When Paimo answered with 1958 and the name of Hubert Ogunde, he located his entry in a popular, indigenous, community-facing tradition.
Both accounts can be true within their own frames. Edochie’s early stage experience is well documented in interviews. Paimo’s association with major Yoruba theatre groups is equally established. The disagreement arises when one timeline is presented as the definitive beginning of “acting” in Nigeria while the other is treated as secondary. Paimo’s response refuses that hierarchy.
The exchange also underscores the value of better historical documentation. Many early performances left limited written records. Oral accounts from surviving practitioners therefore carry particular weight, even as they invite cross-checking against available archives, newspaper notices, and group records.
Practical Insights From the Exchange
For younger actors and researchers, the episode offers clear lessons:
- Career start dates gain meaning only when placed against the specific tradition in which the work occurred.
- Indigenous performance forms often operated for decades before they were absorbed into later film or television industries.
- Public challenges about seniority tend to surface deeper questions about cultural priority rather than mere chronological ranking.
- Cross-generational interviews, such as the one conducted by Kunle Afod, remain one of the most effective ways to capture firsthand testimony before it is lost.
Paimo’s willingness to answer Edochie’s challenge has kept the conversation focused on verifiable personal timelines and the historical sequence of Nigerian theatre forms rather than on abstract claims of overall primacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exact year did Lere Paimo say he started acting?
He stated that he began acting in 1958.
How does that compare with Pete Edochie’s claim?
Edochie has said his acting career started in 1962 with a performance of The Merchant of Venice when he was 15. Paimo’s date places him four years earlier.
Which theatre groups was Paimo associated with early on?
He worked with the Oyin Adejobi Theatre Group and later with Duro Ladipo’s company.
Why did Paimo mention Hubert Ogunde?
He cited Ogunde as a senior figure already active when he himself began, and as evidence that Yoruba travelling theatre predated English-language productions.
Did Paimo claim to be the absolute first Nigerian actor?
No. He acknowledged that Ogunde and others were already working, and he declined to rank figures such as Baba Olumegbon without clearer evidence.
What larger point was Paimo making about Nigerian film history?
He argued that the Yoruba theatrical tradition, operating in the local language and reaching audiences through live performance, formed an earlier foundation than the English-language work often highlighted in later narratives.
Reference links
https://punchng.com/lere-paimo-counters-pete-edochie-says-he-started-acting-in-1958/
https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/15/i-started-acting-in-1958-lere-paimo-counters-pete-edochies-seniority-claim/
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/entertainment/nollywood/909729-i-started-acting-four-years-before-pete-edochie-lere-paimo-counters-actors-seniority-claim.html
https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/i-started-acting-in-1958-lere-paimo-counters-pete-edochies-seniority-claim/
https://tribuneonlineng.com/lere-paimo-says-he-started-acting-in-1958-counters-pete-edochies-claim/
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