EbonyLife Films is moving forward with the long-anticipated screen adaptation of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, the debut novel from acclaimed Nigerian author, Lola Shoneyin.
By Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku
EbonyLife Films is moving forward with the long-anticipated screen adaptation of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, the debut novel from acclaimed Nigerian author, Lola Shoneyin.
Originally announced in 2020 as a Netflix Original Series by EbonyLife CEO, Mo Abudu, the project went quiet following Netflix’s subsequent divestment in the region. Abudu has now confirmed that the adaptation will instead be produced as a feature film headed to cinemas.
The film will be produced by EbonyLife in collaboration with three major players in West African distribution and exhibition—Genesis, Nile Entertainment, and Silverbird. AMAA-winning Nigerian director, Daniel Oriahi (Sylvia (2018); The Weekend (2024)), is attached as director for the film, with SAFTA-winning South Africa-based Nigerian filmmaker and screenwriter, Adze Ugah (Slay (2021); Jewel (2022)), adapting the screenplay.
The adaptation features a starry ensemble cast led by Odunlade Adekola, Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Ademoye, and Omowunmi Dada. Supporting cast members include Shaffy Bello, Bisola Aiyeola, Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Bolaji Ogunmola, Bimbo Manuel, Tina Mba, Daniel Etim Effiong, Femi Branch, Rotimi Fakunle, Bukunmi “KieKie” Adeaga Ilori, and Constance Olatunde in supporting roles.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives follows the scandalous story of the polygamous Baba Segi, his wives, and the extreme measures they take in their quest to meet societal expectations in contemporary Nigeria. A domestic fiction and satire, the novel is widely praised for its rawness, humour, and social commentary.
Shoneyin’s novel won the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award and the ANA Ken Saro-Wiwa Prose Prize in 2011, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in the same year, and was shortlisted for the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2012. A stage adaptation of the novel premiered in London in 2018 to critical acclaim.
The film marks EbonyLife’s first feature since Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman, an adaptation of the play by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, directed by the late Biyi Bandele and released on Netflix in 2022. The theatrical release of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives will also represent a grand return to cinemas for EbonyLife, the production company behind major Nollywood blockbusters, Fifty (2015), The Wedding Party (2016), Chief Daddy (2018), and Your Excellency (2019).
Speaking to Deadline about the adaptation, Abudu said, “I am excited to return to the big screen after five years with the film adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s world-acclaimed story. The strong partnerships with Genesis, Nile, and Silverbird, alongside our outstanding ensemble cast, reflect the scale of this project.”
EbonyLife is targeting a December 2026 release in Nigerian cinemas and internationally, including the United Kingdom, where EbonyLife Place and EbonyLife Cinemas are set to open in London, as previously reported by Afrocritik.