Award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has entered into a major international partnership with the government of the Benin Republic, signing a landmark Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening regional film collaboration.
The agreement, signed in Lagos on Thursday with the Société de Productions Audiovisuelles (SOPA), positions Afolayan and Kunle Afolayan Productions as strategic partners in Benin’s drive to build a globally competitive film industry.
At the heart of the partnership is the planned co-production of a large-scale Orisha/Vodun-themed television series. The project will blend Nigerian and Beninese cultural narratives, drawing on shared spiritual traditions to craft a story tailored for international audiences.
Producers say the series will leverage advanced production technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence for pre-visualisation, virtual environments, visual effects and story development, a move expected to set new technical benchmarks in West African filmmaking.
The collaboration underscores Afolayan’s growing influence beyond Nigeria, building on the global success of projects such as Aníkúlápó.
About Kunle Afolayan
Born in 1974, Afolayan is widely credited with raising production standards in Nollywood through technically polished and culturally rooted storytelling.
He is the son of late filmmaker Adeyemi Josiah Afolayan, popularly known as Ade Love. Afolayan studied Economics at the University of Lagos before earning a diploma in digital filmmaking from the New York Film Academy.
Over the years, he has expanded his international footprint with several projects distributed on Netflix, including the fantasy epic Aníkúlápó, as well as films such as Recall.
His broader creative enterprise, KAP Group, oversees industry infrastructure such as the KAP Film & Television Academy and the KAP Film Village & Resort, both established to train emerging talent and support large-scale productions.
Afolayan is regarded as a leading figure in the “New Nollywood” movement, known for high-budget productions that combine strong narratives with technical excellence.
His breakthrough feature, The Figurine (Araromire), is widely considered a watershed moment in contemporary Nigerian cinema and won multiple awards, including Best Picture at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
He later achieved critical and commercial success with October 1, a historical psychological thriller that performed strongly at the box office and garnered major award nominations.
Other notable works include the romantic comedy Phone Swap, the socially conscious drama Citation, and the coming-of-age film Mokalik, each reinforcing his reputation for blending entertainment with meaningful social commentary.
His latest ventures continue to expand the global visibility of Nollywood and deepen cross-border creative collaboration across Africa.
