Delivering Nollywood

Amazon-owned Prime Video Nigeria is building up a distinctive slate of originals by targeting hyper-local storytelling and partnering with local talent. By

Gün Akyuz

or escape in the Yoruba language, and refers to people leaving for a better life. “We have a lot of that, so when I say local, I’m not talking about territory. The first point is the local customer, wherever they may be, because ours is slightly nuanced in that sense.”

As well as being customer-led, the service also does things in different languages, said the exec. “We’re looking at how to make sure we’re hyper-local enough, as long as there’s a true story – the telling of an authentic story to capture wherever a Nigerian is, whether it’s in the US or UK or Nigeria.”

Highlighting comedy as a favourite genre among audiences, she also identified crime genres as having become ubiquitous in Nigeria. “But recently we’ve seen more action content. We’ve always known that action in Nigeria and Africa does well, but it’s always been international action.”

Last September saw the theatrical release of the Nollywood action-thriller movie Brotherhood. It was acquired by Prime Video and launched on the streamer at the end of January.

“It’s just amazing the engagement that we’ve seen,” commented MbaUzoukwu. Brotherhood’s Nollywood producer and director, Jade Osiberu, and her production company, Greoh Studios, also struck a deal with Amazon Studios to create and develop TV shows and movies exclusively for the platform.

First off the blocks from that deal is Prime Video Nigeria’s first scripted original, the high-profile feature film Gangs of Lagos, produced and directed by Osiberu, along with Kemi Lala Akindoju as producer and Akin Omotoso as coproducer. The story focuses on a group of friends growing up in a gang-run district of Lagos and is inspired by real people. MbaUzoukwu says the film is “a different take on action in a very hyper-local way.” on the streamer in G Sw in Latin Amer N M o to that of t to the multipl audien

The next original to launch will be unscripted comedy series LOL: Last One Laughing Naija. It’s the latest iteration of the Japanese format which has so far launched successfully on the streamer in Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Sweden, as well as in Latin America, Canada, India, Australia and the Netherlands.

Mba-Uzoukwu likens Prime Video Nigeria’s originals strategy to that of the Nordics, due to the multiple languages and different audiences to cater to. Also in common with other local Prime Video services, Nigeria’s ambition is to develop 12 to 14 originals a year across scripted, unscripted and

Video services, Nig scripted movies.

While Prime Video Nigeria’s original commissions are primarily for local audiences, Mba-Uzoukwu pointed to the “nuanced” way the Nigerian service defines itself. “Our local audience is also a diaspora,” she explained, highlighting the Nigerian phenomenon of ‘japa,’ meaning to run rselves, and I think ” ons es, Mba-Uzoukwu uanced” service ur s she hting the Nigerian pa,’

“The unique part is that Nollywood is quite vibrant, so on the acquisitions side, we are seeing a lot of great content coming in on the movie side. We’re focusing on adding variety and value on the unscripted and the series side. At the same time, we’re also still doing movies,” she said, in a nod to side, we are on ad unscripte side. At the same tim s

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She also observed that the arrival of streamers like Netflix and Prime Video to Nigeria, has led to local creatives “being a little bit more bold or taking risks.”

While it’s too early to talk about how originals will be shared across scripted or unscripted, as the slate is still being developed, she said: “I can tell you scripted for TV and unscripted is a big chunk and movies then support that.

“We’re in the period when we’ll see more unscripted because they’re faster, and then our fully blown originals will probably start coming a few years down the line. But that’s where I feel the value-add is.”

Mba-Uzoukwu emphasised that Prime Video in Nigeria is keen not to muscle in on “what is already there and what’s good” but “to improve things for producers” and the local audiovisual industry. In particular, Amazon Studios is keen to support producers to get better at producing series, she said, highlighting a gap in local production for high-end series.

There’s no specific focus on commissioned documentaries at Prime Video Nigeria, but MbaUzoukwu believes they would benefit the territory and pointed to acquired documentaries that are already part of the mix, such as Prime Video’s recently launched doc Super Eagles ’96. The film follows the Nigerian men’s football team, including during the year they surprised the sporting world by winning gold at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, turning the team into local superheroes. Made by London-born director Yemi Bamiro, the doc premiered at last autumn’s London Film Festival.

“It’s such a brilliant story that archives a certain time in Nigeria’s politics and sports that’s very relevant for today,” said Mba-Uzoukwu. “So whilst we say ‘no documentary,’ when we do see the right story, we might champion it.”

As for content that targets specific demos, Mba-Uzoukwu said: “It’s not so much about targeting young adults or whatever, it’s more about something that can have a broad appeal at the same time. If you look somewhere in Africa, in Nigeria, the use of music is really big across the continent. So there’s the music for young adults, but all of us enjoy Afrobeats music, right?

“So it’s looking for those sort of key points where you can leverage something that everybody comes along to. In Nigeria, extended families watch together. So what stories can you tell that actually brings people together, young and old?”

When pitching finished content to Prime Video in Nigeria, MbaUzoukwu’s extensive background as a buyer means she remains the “point person” within her small team for acquisitions. “We confer a lot because we have to align the strategy to make sure that we’re actually delivering for the customers that we’re there for,” the exec added.

Projects brought to Mba-Uzoukwu should preferably consist of a logline and a short one-page outline of what the show is about. “We prefer that just because we’re hand-holding along with an infant industry. With the experience that we have, we can work together to bring it to where it’s going, and part of that is storytelling and life stories.”

As well as movies, Mba-Uzoukwu is keen to bring in more series. “The stories don’t have to be dark. History is good, but those are usually big and epic. What we’d like are life stories about ourselves, to see us as we are, so that when I watch it, I want to see myself in there,” she said.

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ITV Studios (ITVS) bought a majority stake in Lingo Pictures last November, making it the first scripted prodco from Australia to be acquired by the production and distribution arm of ITV. Now the company has revealed its newly scaled-up content strategy, which includes literary adaptions.

Recent years have seen US networks and streamers get out their chequebooks to acquire the rights to bestselling novels by Australian authors, including Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Husband’s Secret.

However, Lingo now aims to develop Aussie literary IP in its native land and bring local stories to global audiences.

“We do feel a little protective of our territory; we’re often fighting off American producers for the rights to Australian books,” says Jason Stephens, creative director and co-owner of Lingo Pictures. “Aussie authors can get a bit dazzled by the US market, as American studios have book scouts operating around the world and they’ve focused on Australia in recent years.”

Lingo MD Helen Bowden previously founded Matchbox Pictures, where she developed awardwinning 2011 drama The Slap, based on a novel by Australian Christos Tsiolkas, for ABC1.

At Lingo, she has overseen production of psychological thriller The Secrets She Keeps, inspired by New South Wales writer Michael Robotham’s 2017 novel, for Network 10. It was also the first Australian drama in 35 years to be given a primetime slot on the UK’s BBC One and was the fifth most watched drama on BBC iPlayer last year. A second season has been produced for Paramount+, BBC One and Sundance/AMC.

“We’ve done a lot of adaptations at Lingo and we have great relationships with writers like Michael Robotham,” says Bowden. “It’s one thing for authors to sell the rights to their novels to US companies, but that doesn’t mean it will actually go into production.

“It’s about getting a show made, so we’ll wait a