Kunle Afolayan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Benin to establish a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionising the audio-visual and film production landscape in the region.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
Award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Benin to establish a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionising the audio-visual and film production landscape in the region.
The agreement with the Société de Productions Audiovisuelles (SOPA) was signed on Thursday in Lagos, positioning Afolayan and Kunle Afolayan Productions as strategic partners in Benin’s efforts to develop a globally competitive film ecosystem.
Central to the partnership is the planned co-production of a large-scale Orisha/Vodun-themed television series. The project will merge Nigerian and Beninese cultural narratives, drawing from shared spiritual traditions to create a story designed for international audiences. Producers say the series will employ advanced production techniques, including the innovative use of artificial intelligence for pre-visualisation, virtual environments, visual effects, and story development.
Speaking on the development, Kunle Afolayan described the collaboration as “a defining moment for African cinema, where visionary leadership, cultural authenticity, and creative enterprise converge to project our stories, our people, and our creative strength to the world in the most compelling way”.
The delegation will tour KAP Group’s state-of-the-art production hub in Lagos and the KAP Film Village & Resort in Igbojaye-Komu, Oyo State, from February 19-22, as part of the official programme. The partnership represents a significant step towards promoting Pan-African creative collaboration, advancing a unified continental voice, and showcasing authentic African stories on the global stage.