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 screenwriter and producer, Issac Ayodeji.
On the Zoom call, Isaac Ayodeji shows up dressed in an Arsenal jersey with a face that betrays no emotion. His video background is unreadable. When he begins to speak, his voice emits passion. He has been writing unofficially for God-knows-how long, and also boasts a formal training in medical science, a combination with which he juggles commitments as a filmmaker and part-time physiotherapist.
Ayodeji met Taiwo Egunjobi at the university, and this friendship kick-started his professional screenwriting career. Together they have worked on different stories, including In Ibadan (2021), All Na Vibes (2021) and A Green Fever (2023) with Egunjobi as director. Ayodeji’s most important Nollywood work to date, from a popularity point of view, is Showmax’s telenovela, Wura, an adaptation of South Africa’s The River and a project on which he served as part of the writing team. But from a purely aesthetically fulfilling and experimental angle, A Green Fever, which visited AFRIFF in 2023 before finding a home on Prime Video early in 2024, stands tall. A product of arthouse and the film noir, A Green Fever is financed by Nemsia Studios, the production company behind one of Nollywood’s best films in recent times, Breath of Life, and is set against the backdrop of military-motivated political upheaval in the early post-independence era of Nigeria. The film stars William Benson, Temi Fosudo, Deyemi Okanlawon and Ruby Akubueze.
Ayodeji’s filmography covers collaborative work with production outfits like M-Net, Film Trybe and Rok Studio and a host of other films, including shorts like And The Winner Is (2019) and Crushed Roses (2022), and features Ebubedike (2021), Dwindle (2021), Rebellion (2021), Quit Notice (2021) and Love and Jealousy (2023).
Ayodeji is the writer of Suky, an action drama produced by Bamidele Adelusi and directed by Ola Cardoso, which was released on Prime Video on 7th March, 2025.
This conversation with Isaac Ayodeji happened in November, 2024 and has been edited for clarity.
You have a Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from the University of Ibadan. Do you juggle both careers or did you have to transition from that path into screenwriting and filmmaking?
I work as a licensed physiotherapist and enjoy a flexible schedule that allows me to create a balance between private patient consultations, hospital collaborations, and my passion for film.
For how long, then, have you been writing scripts?
Writing has been a lifelong passion. Growing up, I penned stage plays for my church. In medical school, I continued to write, eventually landing my first professional gig—a sitcom titled Sisi Clara—about 8-9 years ago. This workplace comedy, centered around a powerful female lead, was produced by a small Ibadan-based studio. Around the same time, I collaborated with friends like Taiwo Egunjobi on experimental projects, including our first short film, a psychological thriller.
It’s impossible to overlook how frequently you have collaborated with Taiwo Egunjobi over the years. What is the genesis of this filmmaking bromance?
I met Taiwo in Nnamdi Azikwe Hall at the University of Ibadan, where we lived on the same floor. Even before we collaborated, I knew him as a psychology student with a passion for filmmaking. Our creative partnership began when I introduced myself as a writer and shared my work with him. He offered valuable feedback, and we’ve been working together ever since. We were also joined by Martini Akande, a skilled editor with a more prominent online presence. During our time in school, Taiwo would often shoot skits, and I’d observe, learn, and write. Our friendship and creative partnership have spanned over a decade, built on mutual understanding and respect.
In addition to your educational qualifications as a physiotherapist, do you have some formal training or certification as a screenwriter and filmmaker?
About three to four years ago, I attended a film business masterclass at Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, which turned out to be a transformative experience. Notably, many of my fellow attendees, including Josh Olaolu, Omotunde Omojola, and Moniepoint’s current content lead Jide Oladehinde, have gone on to achieve great success. To further hone my craft, I participate in online classes, following renowned screenwriting instructors on X and listening to screenwriting podcasts. This is not only to understand dialogue writing, but the reality of watching the project translate from script to screen is a teachable moment for any writer—the on-set improvisations, the enforced changes, the dialogue adjustments and so on.
Beyond budget, what problems bedevil screenwriting and storytelling in Nollywood?
Several structural issues hinder Nollywood’s growth. One major concern is economic viability, particularly our unresolved distribution problems. Another challenge is the limited time allocated to projects, resulting in tight schedules for actors, crew members, and writers. For instance, screenwriters often have only three weeks to deliver a script, which is not ideal for producing high-quality work. Then, there is a significant gap in training that needs to be addressed. Additionally, Nollywood’s rehearsal process is often rushed. Unlike Hollywood, where actors typically have extensive stage training and ample time to rehearse, we usually rely on brief roundtable readings that last around two weeks. To improve this process, writers should be more involved during rehearsals to identify areas where actors struggle with their lines. By collaborating with the director, writers can make necessary changes before filming begins, ultimately enhancing the final product.
Are you a member of any association for Nollywood screenwriters and filmmakers?
I belong to the Screenwriters Guild of Nigeria, a thriving community that also has Yinka Ogun and Tunde Babalola.
Let’s delve into your background. What was growing up like for you? Are there memories from your formative years that serve as a bellwether for your career in Nollywood ?
I enjoyed relative freedom as a child while growing up in Bodija, a residential area in Ibadan. This enabled me to get creative about entertaining my restless self. I had limited access to screens and technology, including a phone, which fostered my creativity. Instead, my siblings and I listened to stories our parents told us about Nigeria’s military and civil war history, and explored our environment for fun. My mother, a literature teacher and school principal, introduced me to Shakespearean and Mills and Boons classics. My father, who is now late, used to bring home newspapers every weekend, which I devoured. These experiences likely influenced my fondness for stories set in times before the explosion of social media and mobile technology, periods where people relied on print media for information.
You said you had little access to TV at home. So how did you first get exposed to Nollywood?
I watched more TV and home video films at some point. I was exposed to actors like Baba Suwe, Akin Olaiya, Saheed Balogun, Muyiwa Ademola, and Baba Sala. I also watched Tunde Kelani’s films, such as Sawaoroide and Magun, as well as Mount Zion films. I remember seeing Akin Lewis for the first time in Tade Ogidan’s Madam Dearest and was so drawn to his performance that I researched him a bit more only to discover he was already an established actor. It wasn’t until I got to university that I started watching Hollywood films, broadening my exposure to different styles of storytelling.
I saw A Green Fever earlier in 2024 and found the production design and pacing of the story intriguing. The project also seems budget-friendly. Can you comment on the curatorial process?
The concept for A Green Fever originated from a discussion Taiwo and I had about a year and a few months before we decided to bring it to life. Initially, we envisioned it as an independent film project, with the working title A Carving of Ijapa. The story wasn’t set in the military era at first, but as we brainstormed and explored different scenarios, we realized that making the owner of the haunted mansion a high-ranking military officer added depth to the narrative. We continued to build on the idea, eventually setting the story against the backdrop of a coup. Although the plot evolved, the core concept remained the same: a conman and his daughter navigating an incredibly difficult situation. At its heart, A Green Fever is an exploration of greed, a complex but universal human emotion.
How much time did you spend on the drafts?
The actual writing process for A Green Fever took three to six months, but the story development spanned over a year. Taiwo and I created detailed scene outlines, typically twenty to thirty pages long, which gave us a clear vision of the narrative before we began scripting. After securing financing and partnership with Nemsia Studios, a production company led by Mr. BB Sasore and Mr. Derin, we refined the first draft based on their feedback, which took an additional one to two months. Once the actors were on board, we fine-tuned the story further, dedicating another month to revisions. In total, we wrote four drafts within a six-month period.
All Na Vibes is another film that focuses on young people and has relatable themes such as crime and youthful exuberance. Can you talk about the vision for the story?
The film was inspired by the desire to tell stories about young people. The story idea came because there was a COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, a year before the film was shot, and many young people were kept at home. We wanted to address that restlessness and idleness. We wanted to talk about how state establishments waged war against young people.
You are one of the writers for Showmax’s Wura. Which of the episodes did you write?
Wura is inspired by the South African telenovela, The River. What we did as writers was to have access to the South African series and reimagine the language and context. Musa Jeffery David led our writing team. We had a mandate not to veer too much away from the story idea and had to carefully translate while bearing in mind the differences in Nigerian and South African worldviews.
How do you handle conflicts of creative interests with the director?
Nollywood writers must acknowledge that, currently, we operate as ‘writers for hire.’ Our greatest creative freedom lies in the scriptwriting phase. Once the script leaves our hands, we have to let go, despite the potential disappointment if our vision isn’t faithfully executed on screen. The director has the final say and can alter any aspect of the script. However, I’ve found that television offers Nollywood screenwriters more creative control and flexibility compared to feature films.
On Instagram, you shared images of pages of your script for The Fire and The Moth, an anticipated project. You are the screenwriter and an associate producer here. Are you at liberty to discuss plot and production details?
Our upcoming project, The Fire and the Moth, builds upon the themes and elements we explored in A Green Fever. It is set in a Nigerian suburb in Ibadan. We’re currently in post-production and looking forward to showcasing the film at festivals.
Do you have mentors and role models?
I draw inspiration from several individuals in Nollywood, including Jeffery Musa David, who has been a significant influence on my work, Chukwu Martin, Tolu Ajayi, Femi Odugbemi, and Victor Agahowa. Beyond Nollywood, I’m a huge fan of international filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan, who continue to shape the global film landscape with their innovative storytelling and direction.
Are you currently working on any project you would like to talk about?
I’m currently developing two new projects: a psychological thriller/horror and an action film. Both are still in the early stages of outlining, and I’m continually brainstorming and refining ideas with Taiwo.
