
On the edge of Lagos, a vast scrubland is being developed into an ambitious film city
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Samuel Okocha
I'm in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital and a city I've watched grow into a thriving movie making hub. I've seen it evolve since I was a young boy when films weren't on streaming platforms. They lived out here in the open, sold in traffic posters on shopfronts, radio jingles announcing the next big release. I watched that street level hustle with real intrigue. It was that energy, actors and producers taking distribution into their own hands that helped turn Nollywood into one of the world's most prolific film industries. And that do it yourself spirit shaped how I think about storytelling. Today I'm standing on a wide stretch of scrubland on the edge of Lagos where plans are underway for a filmed city, a purpose built home for African storytelling and training. In this program we're following the very first steps of this ambitious idea as its backers turn ambition into reality. This is the documentary in the studio. Africa's first film city. From the BBC World Service I'm Samuel Okocha, a journalist, producer and filmmaker based these days between Lagos and Abuja, and someone who's witnessed the Nollywood revolution at first hand. I remember the home video boom sold in places that really mattered. Alaba and Idumota, two of Lagos biggest commercial hubs and Onechaz Iweka Road in the east Pound Road. Aba was also in the mix. Those weren't just markets, they were the backbone of Nollywood's distribution.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
Alright, so Take two, Take two, scene one, Take two.
Samuel Okocha
Sorry, excuse me.
Filmmaker / Actor
Why are we having background noises now distracting the actors?
Samuel Okocha
Fast forward to 2026. Lagos is preparing for a revolution in Nigeria's Nollywood tale. On the outskirts of the commercial capital, a new chapter is beginning. One bringing together a first generation of 21st century filmmakers and storytellers. These are just some of the young filmmakers being put through their paces ahead of the building of an ambitious new film city called Kibulonia. This is very much a partnership for Lagos, but it's bigger than that. It's a dream. All those involved hope will take Africa and African filmmaking to a whole new level. The core partners and collaborators for this project are the Del Yok Group, a Nigerian development and media conglomerate, as well as American based Storyland Studios. Here's Peter McGowan, their chief executive officer.
Will Stevens
Storyland Studios was contracted as the master planning designer and integrator of multiple visions. From different stakeholders, from the government to the film developer, to the potential needs of the housing that we call story circles. We designed this as a catalyst for change, for jobs, opportunities and economic development, but most importantly, change in the overall perception of not only Nigeria, but the entire continent of Africa.
Samuel Okocha
Meanwhile, TSC Global, a Singapore based investment firm, partnered in a $4.5 billion joint venture to build the initiative. And then there's the Lagos state government providing regulatory backing, state Support in the 100 hectare land allocation in Ekpe. And at the center of all this ambition is the man who first imagined Kibalania, Linus Idaosa, CEO of the company Del York International, the driving force behind this tremendously ambitious idea for Africa's first film city right here on the edge of lagos. It's early 2026 and I'm meeting Lynas for the first time. Linus spent years working at the sharp end of Nigeria's media and advertising industries. He was with the US firm CNN International, where he helped Nigerian companies advertise on the network and in the process produced the commercials and short films that went with them.
Linus Idaosa
I'm an accidental creative. It pretty much started from a kind of love relationship that I had with cnn. We kind of saw a gap very clearly as to how authentic African stories could be told and the representations made by corporates on the platform. I saw firsthand the genius that lies within Nigeria's creative industry. Young talents who could produce themes that will blow your mind. So that initiated our first partnership with the New York Film Academy. Having trained over 30,000 young creative individuals. From music to film production to cinematography, woodwork, architecture and all of that, this was one of the foundational stages for what set out for us to start our capacity building. Company for the creative industries.
Samuel Okocha
But I wanted to understand the deeper spark what made Linus believe a project on the scale of our new film
Linus Idaosa
city was even possible in Nigeria and across Africa. We have some of the most powerful genius talents you'll find anywhere in the world. But I believe what was lacking was a system, a structure, and also an infrastructure. I remember a major event that was a very defining moment for me. We had just finished a program that was designed for people in the Niger Delta area. We had gotten ex militants who wanted to find new ways of thinking their lives going forward. And so we came up with a program to see how we could get them to begin to tell stories using cameras rather than using guns. It speaks to the genius that exists within the young minds we have in country. I went to Abuja, the capital city, and I saw a mammoth crowd. They were all cramped in a stadium. Hundreds of thousands of young creative people applying for one job from one government agency. And on the news that evening, about seven to eight people died in the stampede. It struck a chord in me that creative gifted people had to be killed because of that desire to better themselves. That event is what I can trace back to one of the engines that got me thinking about addressing the biggest challenge that the industry has, which I believe is structure.
Samuel Okocha
Of course, even without a film city, Nigeria already shines on the global film stage. It's world famous for Nollywood, a name people recognize as quickly as Hollywood or Bollywood. But fame is one thing and scale is another. I wanted to understand just how successful Nollywood really is. So I've come to meet Dr. Shwaibu Oseni at his office in the center of Lagos. He heads Nigeria's National Film and Video Census Board.
Dr. Shwaibu Oseni
It's a multi billion dollar industry. It has created employment for a huge number of talents. It has contributed to our GDP in terms of production. We are the continent's leading production machine. At the census board, we receive about 2,500 films in a year. That's the ones that come through us officially. There are a lot others that are uploaded without coming here because you can upload from your phone.
Samuel Okocha
What kind of impact would you say Nollywood has had on the Lagos economy?
Dr. Shwaibu Oseni
It has exposed Lagos in so many ways. Most of the production studios are here. They will be paying taxes to the Lagos State government. I also know that the best of the movie markets are in Lagos, Igumotab in Alaba and the rest of them. The only aspect where I know that we are losing a lot of revenue is the fact that there are no production lots, no big studios to carry out post production. So they shoot here and then they go abroad to go and do post production. The filmmaker goes to Bulgaria, goes to South Africa, so those revenues go there. We've just had some flickers at some festivals. We may need to be more deliberate in making sure that we have theoretical releases internationally, because that's where the real money is.
Samuel Okocha
Even though Nollywood has improved tremendously, there is also tremendous room for improvement in terms of what is achievable.
Dr. Shwaibu Oseni
Yes, very well. We've conquered the continent. Our industry have given birth to other industries. Gollywood, Ugandan wood, Gambian wood. We've inspired production there. And so now it is time for us to begin to think about, you know, conquering the world. India has got to Hollywood. China has got into Hollywood. Even in Nigeria, we go to the cinema to watch Indian films.
Linus Idaosa
But.
Dr. Shwaibu Oseni
But I doubt whether you'll be watching a Nigerian film in an Indian cinema.
Samuel Okocha
The film city that is springing up in Lagos, what kind of impact do you think that would have?
Dr. Shwaibu Oseni
Tremendous impact. One of the problems that we have is that we lack the infrastructure to make movies. What is called the film city now, you write there, you create there, you produce there, and you get out to the market. If you are in your film city, nobody comes there to disturb you.
Linus Idaosa
Nollywood, it's a success story that has been happening that grew organically without the support of the private sector or heavily the government. It grew organically by itself. But I think that the ways that we come in to find ways of complementing that success story by focusing heavily on the quality of productions that come in, the structure that is needed to be able compete more globally.
Narrator / Promoter
There's always been the need for Nigeria's creative industry to have a home, a place where all can go to experience creativity at its best. What if we had the power to change the future of African creativity? What if there was a city where stories are born? This is the beginning of a new community, a new ecosystem, a new. A new city.
Samuel Okocha
So the name Kibalania, where does that come from?
Linus Idaosa
It was called from the most ancient name of Africa, which was called Al Qibalan, the mother of mankind, the Garden of Eden, as they called it at the time. And so Kibalania represents a place that brings memory of our true African identity that we intend to bring back with this project. And so when you walk into this place, you feel like you've been transported into a totally different world. A world where Africans in diaspora, the historians who have Read about what Africa truly represented begins to see a coordinated system that is driven by the spirit of excellence, but most importantly, the power of narrative storytelling that is meant to reveal what it really means to be an African.
Samuel Okocha
Wow. Why Lagos and why now?
Linus Idaosa
Lagos has become that cultural capital for the creativity that not just Nigeria, but Africa represents. Then why now? I don't think the world has yet seen the creative genius of our fashion designers, of our gamers, of our broadcast journalists, of filmmakers. I think there's no better time to be able to show that through authentic African genius in creative storytelling and productions.
Samuel Okocha
And it's not just filmmakers here who see the potential.
Will Stevens
We're talking about how can we get US companies to come and invest?
Samuel Okocha
That's Will Stevens, the former US Consulate General here in Lagos.
Will Stevens
For nearly a decade, the US Consulate has been supporting Delior Creative Arts with grants and so much more. Our investment in the creative industries is both at a people to people level, but we also believe that it's a catalyst to increase investment from US companies and organizations.
Samuel Okocha
So what will the film city mean in practice? What's the vision for this structure we keep hearing about?
Linus Idaosa
So Kibelanya is a creative technology district that is designed specifically to address the latest challenges that we have within the creative industry that captures some of the most brilliant talents from across Africa within the creative and tech industries. They will be trained in our first of its kind creative technology university that we're building. It is also going to house a creative industrial district that would house sound stages, production theaters, workshops, where these talents will be able to produce firsthand within the same location, products that will be exported, products that will be consumed domestically as well. It will have a residential township where these creative minds could actually live, work and play. And on the back of it, a tourism driven Africa themed park that would also celebrate the genius of our culture. We also want a place that these young creatives can leave work and play and exchange ideas, inspire themselves, live in campuses that have African themes that reminds them of what they have done in the past and what the future could actually look like to create an opportunity for exciting experimenting, different ideas around creative products that could be exported to the world. And so for us, this is more than a business or a project. This is more like a calling.
Samuel Okocha
I'm Samuel Okocha and you're listening to the documentary in the studio, Africa's first film City from the BBC World Service.
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Samuel Okocha
It's April 2026 and I'm sitting in on one of the early project meetings.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
That aspect of the communication plan has to be more the community. Like I always say to you guys, we don't speak above their heads. From experience, it's important.
Samuel Okocha
There's a lot of attention on communication. How the project is explained, how the community hears it, how government interprets it. Clarity and alignment are the constant watchwords.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
So when we're doing, we're explaining so things don't get lost in translation.
Samuel Okocha
And then there's the practical issues of construction and at this meeting, fencing.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
Regarding fencing, because we are trying to do a new type of fence, I was able to get that. We had gotten quotes.
Samuel Okocha
The fencing comes up several times, quotes, designs, long term suitability. It's one of the first visible elements of the site and the team wants to get it right.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
We'll make a decision on what type of fence we want to use. That could take about less than a week. Right.
Samuel Okocha
Sitting here, you get a sense of how many moving parts there are.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
At this stage, we are following up as much as we can, really.
Samuel Okocha
This isn't a neat linear build. The plan for Kibelania keeps shifting and running. Through it all is one man trying to hold the finance, the politics and the creative ambition in his head. At the same time, I often joke
Linus Idaosa
with myself I'm a hydra headed monster. I have my hands in a number of things on a daily basis. My day starts out with, of course, giving thanks to God for being alive and giving us this vision. Talking with my team whenever I get the chance to do that, finding out where things are, increasing confidence in the project, where it needs to be. Because when you're doing projects like this, every setback can be a forum for doubts.
Samuel Okocha
Can you describe a recent day that captures the reality, the pressure, the pace, the problem solving?
Linus Idaosa
You get, for example, to spend thousands of dollars to hire some of the best hands and minds to build a project, and then you come to terms with the fact that they might not be built out for it. They might not understand the nuances of taking a vision and taking ownership of a vision. And you'd have to deal with issues of canceled flights when you have
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meetings
Linus Idaosa
with potential investors in the Middle east or in the US we're still very much in the phase where a lot of thinking, a lot of learning is needed. Discipline, focus is needed.
Samuel Okocha
What unexpected skills or instincts have you had to develop along the way?
Linus Idaosa
Patience, patience, patience, patience, patience. To also be able to understand people's perception around projects like this. Because there have been several projects that have been tried like this before now, and you find people doubting, oh, can you guys really do this? The environment can be structurally challenging to get certain things done sometimes. And if you rely on the inadequacies, the shortcomings, the frailties, you won't be able to get anything done.
Samuel Okocha
What parts of the work keeps you awake at night?
Linus Idaosa
It's important getting this right. That's what keeps me awake at night. The details like, what are we missing? What is happening in the world today? What do we learn from the success stories and the failures of projects of this kind globally?
Samuel Okocha
What has surprised you?
Linus Idaosa
It is so strange that potential investors or people who were familiar with the potential that exists within the creative and tech industries have not been able to grasp the immense opportunity that lies within a country like Nigeria and some of these African countries. And those also who are in the development finance organizations or commercial banks still haven't yet grappled with the opportunity that lies within this space. That, for me has been a massive surprise. It is something that reinforces our belief in the fact that once we are able to get this up and running, then it will be a totally different story.
Samuel Okocha
And as Linus and his team navigate those shifting sands, there's another challenge on the horizon. One that isn't about land or funding or timelines, but about the future of creativity itself.
Linus Idaosa
So we are leveraging on AI. Some years ago we're thinking about tons of sound stages, big sound stages for productions and all that. Now we're thinking about virtual sound stages. We're thinking about post production services. What would it look like? You know, what type of post production services do we need? All that is changing. With the emphasis we've had on animations, rendering farms, the type of equipment needed to produce these themes, we are seeing new ways of adapting new technologies around AI to facilitate the type of creative products that come out of Kibelania.
Samuel Okocha
So it's May 15, 2026 and I've just switched my phone to see a flurry of messages from the team inviting me at short notice to a very special day. It turns out the site of the film city is going to be blessed today by the local community. Okay, so brilliant. But it's going to take me ages to get there. I better get out my bed and in the shower. It's over three hours later and have now arrived at the palace and wow, it's packed. So many people here. The palace is the seat of the traditional ruler for the Aegeanre community in the Ekpene area of Lagos, which covers the film city side. I've arrived just in time to hear an address from the Oba or the Kabiesi or what some might call the king. The Oba is welcoming everyone involved in the project. Linus is here along with other stakeholders and members of the community. And there's a very special welcome for Chinese guest Diana Chen, who is vice chairman of the China Africa Business Council.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
I'm welcoming our big Madame Di, Samantha Beji Motors with all our hotel, our big beautiful Panchaya,
Samuel Okocha
The Chinese Community here in Lagos are very supportive of the film city project.
Filmmaker / Actor
We work together.
Samuel Okocha
We meet the Jin helper.
Filmmaker / Actor
As a fighter of Nigeria, I will do my job for this community.
Samuel Okocha
From the celebrations in the palace, we are off to the site. This film city site covers about 100 hectares, roughly 247 acres, set inside Ejri's wider 10,000 acres. All of Nigeria's different faith communities are represented here today. And the ceremony is being led by the Oba.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
Father, we commit this land into your hands.
Samuel Okocha
Let it be fruitful.
Production Assistant / Crew Member
Be fruitful.
Samuel Okocha
Let it be fruitful. The Obo's blessing is followed by prayers from other faiths. So Linus talks about creating an authentic film city in Lagos. And today has certainly felt very authentically African. And those authentic filmmakers of the future are already here being put through their paces at the Del York Training Academy in the center of Lagos. Because we are. It's going to be a wide shot.
Dr. Shwaibu Oseni
What's your character name?
Production Assistant / Crew Member
Tommy. The way you dropped that bag, it was abrupt.
Samuel Okocha
And the types of films being made here are tremendously diverse, including drama, history, romance, comedy and animation.
Filmmaker / Actor
Seven films I've directed. But I feel like I needed more knowledge, so I came here to learn so that when I do films I will be able to say, okay, like people just. I feel this. I want to know what the lights, the camera, everything is saying.
Samuel Okocha
I don't know if you are aware of a project called Kibelonia. It's actually an African city film project. What kind of impact do you think such a facility is going to have?
Filmmaker / Actor
It's going to help Nollywood grow in ways that it has not grown before. So with that kind of thing, we have our sets, we have our Gito sets, we have our express, we have our train stations, we have our offices. And three, two, one, action.
Samuel Okocha
The blessing I witnessed is in May was the spark. The build is still to come. I've only captured a tiny snapshot of this project in its design and development stages. But I'm told people will see the vision for Kibalania not just on paper, but in some ways physically on the ground by the end of 2027. You've been listening to the documentary in the studio, Africa's first film, City. It was presented by me, Samuel Okocha, in Lagos. The producer is Ashley Byrne and it was a made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service.
Will Stevens
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Podcast: The Documentary Podcast
Host: BBC World Service
Episode Title: Africa’s first film city
Air Date: August 9, 2026
Host/Reporter: Samuel Okocha
This episode follows the ambitious early stages of building “Kibalania,” set to be Africa's first purpose-built film city on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria. Journalist and filmmaker Samuel Okocha explores the vision, challenges, and transformative potential of Kibalania for Nollywood, African storytelling, and the continent’s creative industries. The episode interweaves voices from project founders, government officials, industry leaders, and young filmmakers, offering a rare inside look at a project aiming to “change the narrative” of African creativity on a global scale.
[15:00–16:36]
Kibalania is a “creative technology district” with:
Quote:
“We also want a place that these young creatives can live, work and play and exchange ideas...this is more than a business or a project. This is more like a calling.”
(Linus Idaosa, 15:53)
[24:01–24:39]
Film city’s vision adapts to rapid tech changes:
Quote:
"Now we're thinking about virtual sound stages...new ways of adapting new technologies around AI to facilitate the type of creative products that come out of Kibelania." (Linus Idaosa, 24:12)
| Time | Segment/Topic | |------|--------------| | 01:19–03:18 | Nollywood’s evolution, energy, and early distribution | | 04:27–04:52 | Storyland Studios’ CEO on vision for change | | 06:03–08:37 | Linus Idaosa on inspiration and the need for structure | | 09:14–10:44 | Dr. Oseni on Nollywood’s impact and infrastructure gaps | | 12:46–14:26 | Meaning of “Kibalania” and Lagos as a creative capital | | 15:00–16:36 | Project vision: campus, tech, and cultural tourism | | 19:00–20:21 | Project meetings and early logistical challenges | | 20:38–23:02 | Linus Idaosa on leadership, patience, and surprise at investor reticence | | 24:01–24:39 | AI and the changing creative landscape | | 24:39–27:36 | Traditional blessing and diverse community support | | 28:20–29:21 | Training next-gen filmmakers; film city’s anticipated impact |
This episode offers an inspiring, honest journey through Africa’s first film city—from its visionary foundations, practical hurdles, and community engagement to its bold promise for future generations. Kibalania stands poised as a cultural, educational, and technological flagship, aiming to transform how Africa’s stories are made and shared with the world.