In October 2025, I spent over an hour in conversation with Damola Layonu, a Nigerian film professional based in Oshawa, Ontario, about an hour east of Toronto, Canada. Layonu trained as a lawyer and worked in both Nigeria and Canada before co-founding Snag Productions with his wife, Chiagoziem Obi, a distribution company that, in his […]
Tag: Nollywood
African Box Office 2025: A Measured View of the Continent’s Theatrical Revenue
This launches Akoroko’s year-end review series of reports analyzing 2025 in African screen sector (film, TV, digital media) activity. The first report breaks down the year in box office data, continent-wide. The reality is that there are only a handful of countries with weekly, monthly, or annual reporting; others are partial or irregular, and a […]
Brazil–Nigeria Treaty Under Review at AFRIFF’s New Film Market
At the newly launched Africa Film Content Market (AFCM) in Lagos, held under the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), a panel titled “Brazil and Africa – Bridging the Gap to the Lusophone World and Latin America” revisited the Brazil–Nigeria audiovisual co-production treaty signed in June 2025. Panelists — including Marcio Yatsuda, Uche Agbo, Queen Blessing […]
Nile Entertainment × Action Xtreme: What This First-Look Deal Really Means
📅 Deal announced Sept 8: first-look partnership between Moses Babatope’s Nile (Nigeria) and Chee Keong Cheung’s Action Xtreme (UK). 🎬 First film: “Son of the Soil,” shot fully in Lagos, opens in Nigerian cinemas Oct 31 before festivals and streaming. 👥 Cast: Razaaq Adoti (“Amistad”), Ireti Doyle, Patience Ozokwo, Sunshine Rosman, Toyin Oshinaike. Produced with […]
Canal+ Group’s First Nigerian Original Series Launches—Here’s What to Know
Canal+ Group just premiered “Lagos Police Criminelle”, its first original series made in Nigeria. 📌 Co-produced with Lagos-based Asake Productions📌 Developed from “Lasgidi Cops,” rebooted for a pan-African audience📌 Distributed via Canal+ Pop and the myCANAL app📌 First episode free on YouTube (standard Canal+ promo model) Akoroko unpacks the behind-the-scenes action and broader context—Netflix bundling, […]
The Nigeria–Brazil Cinema Link Ola Balogun Built
When Nigeria and Brazil signed their first audiovisual co-production treaty last week, I couldn’t help but recall the films of Ola Balogun, which were co-produced decades before any such agreement existed. 🎬 In 1978, Balogun directed “Black Goddess” (“A Deusa Negra”), shot in Brazil and Nigeria, with support from the former’s national film body📽️ Two […]
SHAIHU UMAR: A Nigerian Rediscovery, Restoration, and Representation
SHAIHU UMAR, directed by Adamu Halilu in 1976, is a notable work of Nigerian cinema that was once thought to be lost. It was *rediscovered* in 2016 when the negatives and prints were found in the Nigerian Film Corporation’s archive.
How African Film Industries Can Avoid Hollywood’s Pitfalls
Hollywood’s history, despite its challenges, provides a wealth of lessons that could equip evolving African film industries to better engage with international markets and partnerships, potentially playing a significant role in elevating African cinema to a global stage.
Nollywood and Her Quest for Identity
Explorin the evolution of Nollywood’s identity, from its modest beginnings to its quest for recognition on the global stage, highlighting the challenges and changes within the Nigerian film industry.
Defying the Odds: The Dissenting Cinema of Nigeria’s Surreal16 Collective
How the Collective, led by filmmakers Michael Omonua, Abba Makama, and C.J. Obasi, is revolutionizing Nigerian cinema.