NETFLIX PARTNERS WITH PRODUCER, MO ABUDU TO CREATE NIGERIAN CONTENT

Netflix and Nigerian producer and CEO of the production company, EbonyLife Media, Mo Abudu have initiated a partnership that serves the company’s growth of investment in Nigerian content. Abudu plans to create two Netflix Original series, along with multiple Netflix branded films and a series that have been licensed to the service. “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,” said Dorothy Ghettuba, Netflix lead for Original Series in Africa.  “We look forward to supporting Mo as she brings all these diverse Nigerian stories to the world .”

One of the features the partnership consists of is on-screen adaptations of literary works by two Nigerian authors, 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 Wole Soyinka. “We believe that more people deserve to see their lives reflected on screen and for that to happen, we need to make sure there’s a wide variety of content that caters to our members’  diverse tastes,” says Ben Amadasun, Netflix Director of Licensing and Co-productions for Africa.

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. Further details on the two Netflix original series and the slate of Netflix-branded projects that will be licensed from EbonyLife will be shared at a later date.  “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,” Abudu said.