An acclaimed Nigerian producer, Mo Abudu, has said Africa, and particularly Nigeria, will do well in telling its stories to the world.
Abudu, who recently signed a partnership with Netflix, a leading streaming entertainment service, said the move will “help grow the African industry and get our stories out there.”
Earlier this month, Netflix signed a partnership with Abudu to create two Nigerian original series and multiple Netflix-branded projects licensed from her production company EbonyLife.
Under the partnership will be the on-screen adaptations of literary works by two critically-acclaimed Nigerian authors. A series based on Lola Shoneyin’s best-selling debut novel, ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’ and a film adaptation of ‘Death and The King’s Horseman,’ a play by 1986 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, author, poet and playwright, Wole Soyinka.
“Mo is at the forefront of creative storytelling in African television. Her passion for creating high-quality, riveting multi-genre films and TV shows that capture the imagination while showcasing the diversity and richness of Nigerian culture is evident in her impressive body of work,” said Dorothy Ghettuba, Netflix’s lead for Original Series in Africa. “We’re thrilled about this first-of-its-kind partnership in Africa that will bring some of Nigeria and Africa’s most iconic storytelling to screen. We look forward to supporting Mo as she brings all these diverse Nigerian stories to the world.”
Abudu said: “As a Nigerian storyteller, my biggest motivator has always been to tell authentic and untold stories that resonate with every person, regardless of where they’re from in the world while showcasing our culture, heritage and creativity. This unprecedented partnership is testament to the Netflix’s investment in African storytelling and we at EbonyLife are grateful and excited about the opportunity to work together with the Netflix teams led by Dorothy and Ben to deliver a slate of unique and riveting stories from Nigeria over the next few years for Netflix audiences around the world.”
The film adaptation of ‘Death and The King’s Horseman’ will be among the newly-licensed Netflix branded films. One of the films will premiere on the service in 2020.
