No one understands the emotional textures of Lagos, Kano, Enugu or Jos better than Nigerians themselves. Our objective should not be to imitate Hollywood, Bollywood or any other tradition, but to contribute distinct African voices to a global cultural conversation. Africans especially Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world, must remain authors, not merely subjects, of our own stories
TODAY at Sheffield DocFest 2026, one of the world’s leading documentary film festivals, I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion titled “Black Delegation: Nigerian Film Focus,” alongside filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, director of MKO, in a conversation moderated by film critic and writer Franklin Ugobude. The session brought together filmmakers and industry practitioners to reflect on the evolving landscape of Nigerian cinema, and it offered me an opportunity to share some thoughts on storytelling, narrative ownership, industry realities and the future of filmmaking in Nigeria.
Drawing from my experience as Executive Producer of the documentary feature Hope Is a Word, which had its global premiere at Sheffield DocFest yesterday evening, and as Co-Founder of the iREP International Documentary Film Festival, I reflected on what I believe are some of the most important questions facing African storytellers today.
I began by suggesting that while conversations about filmmaking often focus on craft, technology and production techniques, the more fundamental question concerns the stories themselves. Storytelling, I argued, is perhaps humanity’s oldest technology. Long before books, cinema or the internet, stories served as repositories of collective memory, identity and values. For us as African filmmakers, storytelling is therefore much more than artistic expression; it is an act of preservation.
Every language, proverb, ritual, worldview and lived experience that finds its way onto the screen becomes part of a cultural archive. Cinema preserves not only historical events but also emotions, philosophies and ways of understanding the world. In an increasingly globalized media environment, I believe the greatest danger is not cultural exchange but cultural erasure. Our responsibility as filmmakers extends beyond entertainment. We must ensure that our histories, traditions, humour, spirituality and complexities survive for future generations. Stories are not only products; they are inheritance.
The conversation naturally turned to questions of narrative ownership and representation. For me, the issue of who controls the narrative remains central to Africa’s creative future. Historically, African stories were often interpreted and presented through external perspectives. While technology has democratized access to production and distribution, ownership of narrative remains a critical concern.
I shared my view that while storytellers determine perspective annd offer context, audiences ultimately confer meaning, creating an ongoing dialogue between authorship and reception. Yet this engagement should never come at the expense of truth. Too often, African filmmakers face pressure to tailor stories to perceived international expectations or familiar local stereotypes. I challenged that approach because I do not believe authenticity, truth and universality are opposing forces. In fact, the more rooted a story is in its truth, the more universally human it becomes.
No one understands the emotional textures of Lagos, Kano, Enugu or Jos better than Nigerians themselves. Our objective should not be to imitate Hollywood, Bollywood or any other tradition, but to contribute distinct African voices to a global cultural conversation. Africans especially Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world, must remain authors, not merely subjects, of our own stories.
When discussing the realities of filmmaking in Nigeria, I acknowledged that ours is an industry that demands equal measures of creativity and resilience. Nigerian filmmakers continue to operate within an environment characterized by limited financing, inadequate infrastructure, fragmented distribution systems and inconsistent institutional support. In many cases, we are required to solve structural challenges that filmmakers elsewhere rarely encounter. Yet it is precisely these constraints that have also generated extraordinary innovation. Nollywood emerged as one of the world’s largest film industries not because conditions were favourable, but because Nigerian creatives refused to wait for perfect circumstances before creating and distributing content. Today, opportunities are expanding rapidly. Streaming platforms have increased global visibility for African stories. Digital technologies have lowered barriers to entry. Emerging filmmakers are experimenting with new genres, aesthetics and storytelling approaches. International collaborations are becoming more common, while audiences worldwide are demonstrating a growing appetite for authentic African perspectives.
At the same time, I argued that the next phase of Nollywood’s evolution requires a strategic shift. The future demands a movement from volume to value. That means building sustainable businesses, strengthening intellectual property frameworks, improving institutional capacity and creating structures capable of supporting long-term growth. Talent alone is not enough. We must build structures. Looking ahead, I expressed optimism about the future of Nigerian filmmaking. Emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, immersive media and evolving distribution models will undoubtedly reshape how stories are created, experienced and monetized. However, technology must remain a tool in service of human creativity rather than a replacement for it. The future belongs to creators who combine cultural authenticity with technological fluency.
I also see deeper collaboration across Africa as one of the most exciting opportunities before us. Many of our stories, histories and contemporary realities are interconnected. Pan-African co-productions and shared creative ecosystems offer significant possibilities for growth and global influence. Another major shift will be the increasing importance of intellectual property. The most successful filmmakers of the future will not simply create individual films; they will build enduring story worlds, franchises and cultural assets capable of generating value across multiple platforms and generations. Most significantly, I believe Nollywood’s first chapter was about proving that we exist. The next chapter is about proving that our stories can shape global culture.
As I concluded my remarks today, I returned to what I consider the broader significance of cinema itself. Cinema is not merely entertainment. It is memory. It is identity. It is soft power. And in the twenty-first century, those who tell compelling stories will help define how nations are understood and how civilizations are remembered. The global rise of Nigerian cinema is not simply an economic or artistic phenomenon. It is part of a larger cultural project, one in which storytelling serves as preservation, self-definition and a means of shaping how Africa is seen by the world and by future generations.
