My Life In Nollywood: Ife Olujuyigbe

Every week, The Culture Custodian grants you an all-access backstage pass into the lives of Nollywood rock stars. You get to learn about their fascinating backgrounds, the behind-the-scenes stories, and more. This episode features producer, associate producer, production manager, executive producer, writer and director, Ife Olujuyigbe 

Ife Olujuyigbe, a multihyphenate, tows interconnected artistic paths. It all began from a childhood that exposed her to reading, drawing and feeding her wild imaginations with fantastical characters and personalities created together with her siblings. “My brother and I used to turn inanimate objects into characters, fictional athletes, students, and heroes with dramatic lives,” she reminisces. These whimsical moments prepared her for the literary journey ahead.  Her short fiction collection, Of Children Born To Us, contains a story A Quest for Rashidi that is inspired by her formative experiences. As a literary artist, she participated in several competitions, some of which she won (for instance, the 2016 flash fiction tournament, The Blackout) and got published across various literary magazines, including Brittle Paper.

Born in Jos, Plateau State, Olujuyigbe relocated to the Southwest with her family at a certain point. On the insistence of her parents who wanted her to have stability and success, she studied Chemical Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife. However, her love for the arts kept resurfacing until it overrode her career in the sciences. She ventured into film criticism, which enabled her to explore and interact with two things she was most passionate about: film and writing. As a film critic, she relentlessly reviewed Nollywood films for True Nollywood Stories. With time, the yearning to make her own films became irrepressible.

From scriptwriting to production and directing, Olujuyigbe has taken up different responsibilities in Nollywood, and is credited in films such as House of Money, Something Like Gold, Obara’M, Ègún, What About Us, and Reel Love, to mention but a few.

This conversation with Ife Olujuyigbe has been edited for clarity. 

What was your first Nollywood gig and how did you approach the project?

For me, there are several “firsts”. The very first was during my youth service when my friend Joe Aito and I decided to turn our filmmaking aspirations into reality. Despite having no budget, we pooled our resources, called in favors, and managed to produce two short films. One of them, Parting Gift, was even selected for the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF). Looking back, it was a chaotic but invaluable learning experience that served as a crash course in filmmaking. My second milestone was when I started working full-time in film. Within my first month, I found myself overseeing three TV film productions: Make It or Break It, Killing Daisy, and The Keeper. It was a back-to-back marathon that tested my endurance, but it taught me the importance of excellence, attention to detail, and perseverance in the industry. My third significant experience was working on my first big-screen film, The Trade, now streaming on Prime Video. As a production manager, I was part of a team that worked tirelessly to bring the film to life. 

Are there any influences of your educational background in Chemical Engineering on your career trajectory?

Looking back, studying Chemical Engineering was an important ‘hard thing’ I needed to do. I figured if I could survive a core sciences major for over five years, there was nothing else I could not overcome. It also helped clarify my vision. I had done the most unartistic thing possible, yet I still craved the arts. That had to mean something. My time working in the corporate world and on oil and gas rigs as a Chemical Engineer also gave me a wealth of material to draw from. When I wrote Which Jide (tentative), a story featuring a character in a corporate setting, I found myself pulling from those memories. In the end, Chemical Engineering gave me perspective, resilience, and experiences that continue to feed my storytelling. 

Do you have any formal training or certification as a filmmaker?

I don’t have a traditional film school background, but I have undergone formal training and certification in filmmaking. I started with the Story Story masterclass organized by Chris Ihidero, the owner of Pinpoint Media. After that, I took a course in TV writing and screenwriting for film professionals at the Lagos Film Academy, which is also owned by Chris. He is an exceptional teacher, and I learned a great deal from him. But my most valuable education in filmmaking came from working with Jade Osiberu. When I first met Jade at Ake festival several years ago, I asked if she thought I needed to attend film school. She told me the best way to learn is by doing, and that was exactly what I did. Working with her was like attending film school, except the lessons were hands-on and relentless. Beyond these, I have also had the chance to flex my directing muscles. In 2024, I directed additional scenes for my show When Are We Getting Married? On RedTV and later directed scenes in Timini Egbuson’s film Reel Love, which I also wrote. 

What was growing up like?

Growing up felt like living in two different worlds. The first was loud, full of adventure, and packed with endless fun. The second was quieter, more introspective, and shaped a different side of me. The first phase of my childhood was in Jos, Plateau State, where I grew up with my three siblings, each of them creative in their own way. We had a knack for turning the simplest things into grand adventures. Bottle tops became soccer players in fierce tournaments, pencils and pens turned into relay runners, and dirty dishes became students in a makeshift school where someone was always getting ‘expelled’. My brother, especially, had an incredible imagination, and together, we built entire worlds out of nothing. Another big part of my childhood in Jos was my mom’s Bible Club. Every Sunday evening, kids from the staff quarters would gather at our house to learn about God. But it was so much more than that. It was a stage for creativity. We sang, danced, put on dramas, and choreographed entire performances. That’s where I first learned to play the drums. Looking back, those moments didn’t just shape my creativity. They shaped who I am as a person. Then came the second phase. We moved to the Southwest, and life became much quieter. My siblings went off to university, my mom worked in another state, and suddenly, I had to navigate the world on my own. It wasn’t easy. I struggled to speak Yoruba fluently, which made even simple things like running errands or making small talk feel like a chore. So I turned inward. I read obsessively, wrote constantly, and found comfort in stories, both real and imagined. 

You have worked with Kayode Kasum and Dare Olaitan on a couple of projects, including your latest film Reel Love directed by Kayode Kasum. What informs these collaborations?

Working with Kayode Kasum and Dare Olaitan has been one of the best parts of my journey. And then there’s Feyifunmi Oginni, producer extraordinaire. She has the ability to take absolute chaos and turn it into a smooth-running production, which, if you know anything about filmmaking, is a superhuman trait.  In 2022, we decided to collaborate on a series of films. It felt like a natural step, considering how much we respected each other. It has been one of the best creative decisions we have made, and I am excited about what’s still to come. I’m proud to say that Kayode, Dare, Feyifunmi, and I have also all been recognized individually for our work. Dare won the 14th Future Awards Africa prize for film in 2019, Kayode won the 16th in 2022, I won the 17th in 2023, and Feyifunmi was nominated for the 18th in 2024. We have joked that we’re collecting them like Infinity Stones. We are looking at Carmen Lilian Ike-Okoro, another phenomenal member of the tribe, to keep the stories coming. But at the end of the day, filmmaking is a team sport, and I’m glad I’ve got some of the best teammates in the game.

With references to Reel Love and What About Us, can you walk me through your process for developing a script?

I don’t have a strict formula because every story is different. With Reel Love and What About Us, I got to explore romance and drama in ways that excited me as a writer. For me, scriptwriting usually starts with understanding the story I want to tell. I take my time developing the concept because rushing never leads to anything good. Once I have a clear vision, I write a treatment. I flesh out characters, structure the plot, and identify the themes. I share it with my trusted circle, including Carmen, Feyi, or Charles Umoinyang who has an incredible eye. Their feedback is invaluable because they help me see what’s working and, more importantly, what isn’t. After refining the treatment, I move on to the script. Sometimes I write detailed character profiles, giving them backstories, motivations, and quirks. Other times, I let them take shape as I write. Either way, my goal is always the same: to create characters that feel real, like people you could actually meet. I love great dialogue, so I make sure they talk well too. Feedback is a big part of my process. I welcome notes, even the ones that sting a little, because I know they’ll make the story stronger. Writing is rewriting, and I’m willing to put in the work to get the script to a place where it truly resonates. At the end of the day, my goal is simple. I want to tell a story that moves people. However long it takes, that’s always the priority.

Tell me about a major challenge or setback you experienced as a filmmaker and how you managed it

One experience that really stuck with me was when my name was erased from a project I worked hard on. I’m particular about credits. It’s not just about seeing my name on a screen. In an industry where people are often overworked and underpaid, credit is sometimes the only real acknowledgment they get. I make it a point to ensure people’s names are spelled correctly, their titles are right, and they’re properly tagged. So, when I found out my name had been wiped from a project I had contributed significantly to, it felt like a slap in the face. It took some serious back-and-forth before the platform attempted to make things right. Even then, the experience still left a scar. Situations like this happen more often than they should. And people often get vilified for standing their ground and demanding what’s right. Sometimes, you don’t get paid what was agreed upon. Other times, the terms of a deal shift halfway through a project, leaving you stuck. It’s frustrating, but it also builds resilience. That said, I don’t believe in just letting things slide. Some issues need to be addressed, and people should be held accountable. If mistakes are ignored, they’ll keep happening. That applies to individuals and the industry as a whole. If we never learn, how are we supposed to grow? Now here’s my recommendation: hire a QA/QC arm to ensure everything about your final product is as error-free as is humanly possible. Let’s stop letting our films be characterized by ‘anyhowness’. 

Have you had any conflict of creative interests with a production team member? If so, can you relate the experience?

One of the trickiest conflicts in filmmaking, in my experience, is casting. I’ve had moments where I was certain a particular actor was the right choice, only for someone else on the team to disagree strongly. And when the person you’re clashing with is just as convinced about their choice as you are about yours, things can get… interesting. The key is to remember that the goal isn’t to ‘win’ but to do what’s best for the project. When I feel strongly about something, I try to build a consensus. I explain my reasoning, show examples, and get others on board. If most people agree with me, great. If not, I reassess. 

Do you have any mentors and role models as a filmmaker?

I have people I admire and learn from. The first  film mentor I ever had was Jade. Watching Gidi Up was a turning point for me. The way music was used in that series was the first time I truly understood how much of a character music could be in a film. It was the first time I’d seen a show display the song playing on screen at every moment. I loved it. I decided I wanted to make films like that. When I eventually got the opportunity to work with her, I saw firsthand how detail-oriented she is. She doesn’t just focus on the big picture; she’s meticulous about the little things, and that’s something I’ve carried into my own work. Jade is a creative powerhouse. I admire Bolanle Austen-Peters a lot. Whether it’s a stage or screen production, you can sense her strong artistic presence in her work. Beyond that, I’ve worked with her in person, and she’s one of the warmest people.  I admire Biodun Stephen. That woman knows how to bring the best out of everyone. She works with actors, and suddenly, you see the actor in a light you have never seen them in before. She draws out the heart of every story she touches. She is skilled in the art of making you feel and I respect the hell out of her. I also have a lot of respect for Niyi Akinmolayan, not just for his groundbreaking work but for his willingness to share knowledge. I remember that when myself and my first film partner wrote a script for our short film, we submitted it to a competition he organized, having written it with Microsoft Word. It was hilarious, but we didn’t know better. Instead of laughing, Mr. Niyi gave us patient feedback. He introduced us to the screenwriting software I still use today. It is things like that, his openness to teaching and guiding younger filmmakers, that make a huge difference in the grander scheme. Internationally, I like Guy Ritchie for his crazy-good dialogue, and the energy in his work. I’m a big fan of Shonda Rhimes’s mind and how it just…works wonders, and of Ava DuVernay’s unique perspective in telling the moving stories of people of colour. The interesting part is, all these people are writers too. Like I said, writers make brilliant directors. 

How do you juggle filmmaking and your personal life?

For me, there’s no real separation between my personal life and my filmmaking. They flow into each other naturally. I don’t see filmmaking as just work. It’s an extension of who I am. The way I experience life, the people I spend time with, and the things I love to do all feed into my creativity and, ultimately, the stories I tell. That doesn’t mean I neglect other aspects of my life. I don’t believe in the idea that you have to sacrifice your personal life to succeed. I make time for my family, my friends, and the creative hobbies that bring me joy, like music, painting, and drawing. These aren’t distractions. They keep me balanced and inspired. Staying connected to the people I love is also really important to me. 

Are you currently on any project?

I’m always working, thankfully, which gives me the chance to explore new things. Right now, I’m writing a lot of scripts. Last year, I worked on several that I’m hoping will make it to cinemas or other platforms this year. You already know about Reel Love, which has had its run in the cinemas. I also wrote a script last year about culture and the deep mourning of two women who’ve lost their loved ones. Another script that really moved me to tears as I wrote it was about the complicated relationship between a woman and her mother, set in Igbo land. We had Madam Onyeka Onwenu (of blessed memory) in mind for it and when she read it, she loved it. Last year, I produced a documentary that hopefully will be showcased this year, but I’m also preparing to dive into another documentary project soon. Most importantly, I’m planning to direct a lot this year. I feel like I have so much more to offer as a director, and I’m actively seeking new opportunities. It’s been great working on scripts, but I can’t wait for everyone to see me direct them too.