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, Musa Jeffery David.
Musa Jeffery David, who likes to be addressed as Jeff, is shy of public attention but makes up for this in expressive thoughts. When the Lagos-based screenwriter speaks about his career over a Zoom call, his frankness is palpable. He is neither delusional about the harsh realities of the industry nor averse to criticism of his craft. A lettered man with a background in the sciences, Jeff found himself drawn towards arts—a passion through which he has made a name for himself as a blooming Nollywood screenwriter who is sought after by film and TV outlets like Africa Magic, Showmax, and Play Network Studios.
In 2023, Showmax launched Wura, a TV series adapted from the South African telenovela The River. Although Jeff had been figuring his way through the industry, hopping from one project to another, the popularity of the show, on which he served as head writer, drew attention to him like never before. Wura, currently in its third season, is premised on the story of Wura Amoo-Adeleke, played by Scarlet Gomez, the female protagonist who becomes ruthless in a bid to protect her interests as a stakeholder in the gold mining industry.
Jeff is signed to the management of Play Network Studios and wrote the screenplays of at least two of their projects, Blood Vessel (2023) and Hijack ’93 (2024). Directed by Moses Inwang, Blood Vessel follows the story of a group of six youths who, while attempting to flee their communities devastated by oil pollution and violence, become stowaways on a strange ship that puts them in danger. The recently released Hijack ’93, directed by Roberts O. Peters, is a thriller based on the 1993 Nigerian Airways hijack incident.
Jeff is also head writer for TV projects such as Refuge (2023), Chronicles (2023), and 10th Avenue (2024), and, often collaborating with other writers, wrote the screenplays for feature films like Lockdown (2021) and Kanaani (2023). He is a two-time Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) nominee for the 2023 Best Writer of a Movie/TV Series category (Kanaani) and 2024 Best Writing TV series (Wura).
This conversation has been edited for clarity.
Every screenwriter considers themselves a storyteller with their unique skillset. What would you say makes you different from other Nollywood screenwriters?
When contracted for a job, I try to give it my all. I give my best to the highest of my abilities. I do a lot of rewrites and pay attention to details. Before I send my first draft, I must have written it 3-4 times already, so my first draft will be my fourth draft. I think that’s my selling point as a screenwriter.
How long have you been in the business of screenwriting?
I started from Iroko before I went to Africa Magic. I think I started writing for Iroko in 2010. My big break came around 2019, five years ago.
What was your first writing gig in Nollywood?
Well, that I can’t remember. Wura gave me a big break. The way people held onto it, the way they related to the show, the way they related to the characters in the movie, I don’t think anyone expected that. The reception of Wura felt like that of Superstory.
Looking at your past projects, how do you conduct research before crafting your stories?
Blood Vessel was supposed to be set in the Niger Delta, particularly the Ijaw-speaking part of Bayelsa. I did a lot of oral and online research. Due to the scanty internet and written documentation of the people, I did a lot of verbal communication. The downside to that is, you just have to rely on what people tell you and a lot of people do not have the information you expect them to have. For Hijack ’93, we interviewed two of the hijackers, did online research, and read publications on what happened in 1993. We hired the services of researchers to help us gather resource materials to make sure we were not creating a story out of thin air.
I’m interested in knowing your educational history. Would you enlighten me on that?
I didn’t start as a filmmaker. I have a BSc in Biochemistry, an MSc in Industrial Chemistry, and a PhD in view. I’m in the sciences, so writing, for me, is just like an acquired career. However, I want to go to film school and get better at my craft.
Do you have any certification in screenwriting?
Yes, I have certifications from workshops and masterclasses.
Do you juggle work in the sciences with being a Nollywood craftsman?
I’m hundred percent a screenwriter. That’s my career path right now.
I believe there are differences between screenwriting for TV and feature films. How do you approach writing both?
For most of the series I’ve written for Africa Magic, my major role is that of a supervisor—the head writer. My job is to make sure everything is written from start to finish. There are other hired writers, and I just oversee the process. I don’t get to write even a single episode in some of these series. It’s feature films that I write alone.
As a screenwriter in Nollywood, I would like to know how much creative control you have over your work. By creative control, I mean having your input to the story idea given to you and being carried along in modifications to the script during filming.
The way it works is that, if the Executive Producer or anyone in charge gives you a story, you almost have to write it the way they want it to be. It is when you’ve made a name for yourself in your career that you can tell the producers how best the stories should be told. So, there are two options: write the story just for money or pull away from it if the producer is not willing to meet in the middle. You have almost zero control over how the film turns out. The story passes through the producers and the directors, and the director can interpret the story in a way that changes the original sense of the story. Then if the project lands in the hands of a bad editor, the film can change totally. It’s always crushing when a story doesn’t go the way you want it, but then you have to move on.
What’s the nature of your contract with the Charles Okpaleke-led Play Network Studios?
I’m one of their talents. I have a management deal with Play Network.
In Blood Vessel, the main characters are brought together by chance as they attempt to flee their hometowns. The same thing with Hijack ’93 where a group of four young men are brought together to work as a team. How do you go about character development in your stories?
The characters in Hijack ’93 don’t meet by chance. They are recruited. There’s so much thought that goes into characterization. My approach to characterization is, I take a character and try to break them. I put obstacles in their way. I make my characters have a lot of flaws and experience internal conflict. The problem is, in the process of making a film, they omit so many details and make some misinterpretations when edited. Sometimes, we want to tell ambitious stories, but we are not at a level where we can project these stories on screen to the fullest. This, then, leads to some shortcomings, making the story appear less on screen than it should have.
I think we’ve not been able to solve distribution problems on a global scale. We could need to partner with foreign investors who can invest in the films regarding the budget, what do you think about this and other industry problems?
To be honest, I don’t think distribution is our primary problem in Nollywood. The basic concern is skill. I don’t know if you’ve heard stories of how unprofessional some producers can be. I’ve heard stories of how some directors come to shoot a movie without reading the screenplay. Most writers get just two weeks to write the first draft of a screenplay. Many actors, too, have to jump multiple sets, which makes it difficult for them to master the character they’re supposed to play. When you have to take multiple jobs just to make ends meet, the quality of the films will be at risk. Another problem is our intolerance towards criticism. To producers and writers, criticism often feels like being shaded. I don’t mind constructive criticism because it’s meant to improve my craft. Izu Ojukwu’s ’76 is, for instance, a good film that I see every year, is the kind of project I want to have my name on.
I’m interested in knowing what growing up was like for you. I’d also like you to talk about how your formative experiences possibly contributed to your development as a screenwriter and creative.
My formative years were a bit weird and it’s something I don’t talk about. I was born in Delta State, but I hail from Edo State. Due to the nature of my dad’s job, we moved around a lot and that exposed me to many cultures. I have visited more than twenty-two states in the country, but I stopped traveling because of insecurity. This exposure is reflected in my writing. In my stories, I try to draw my characters from minority tribes. One thing that made Blood Vessel stand out was the Ijaw language. We don’t have a lot of movies from the minority tribes. I think I’ll explore more in writing.
Do you have any role models and mentors in or outside Nollywood?
I have a long list of people I look up to. This includes Tunde Babalola, Tunde Apalowo, Tunde Aladese, Mildred Okwo, Ifeanyi Barbara Chidi, Xavier Ighorodje, Anthony Kehinde Joseph and Jade Osiberu.
Writers often experience creative blocks when working on a project. Sometimes, as a writer, you can run out of ideas even when you have a tight deadline to meet. How are such situations best handled?
That’s why, as a screenwriter, you need more time because creative blocks are the moments when you’re probably not inspired. If, for instance, you’re given six months to submit your first draft, you can take a break from it. When you’re not inspired, you can put the writing aside and do other things that you like. When you’ve completed your first draft, put it aside for some time, so that when you’re reading it again, you see the story from fresh perspectives.
I would like you to talk about any project you’re currently working on if you’re at liberty to do so. Can you, also, share your prospects—those projects you would like to undertake—as a screenwriter or in any professional capacity in Nollywood?
I’ve started a Telenovela on Africa Magic that is about a hundred and thirty episodes. The creative process will run for seven months, and I have a couple of fantastic writers who will be joining me on this project. I think my aspiration as a writer is to tell authentic stories. We might not get it right a hundred percent. The good thing about Nollywood is that even when a project of yours flops, you get a second chance to prove yourself, to redeem yourself. Now, I am becoming very conscious of who I write for. The thing with ambitious projects is that, if you don’t execute them well, they become laughable. So, I have to make sure the person I’m working for can execute it with excellence. There’s also a project I’ll be working on around January next year. I have high expectations for that project.
Don’t you think, at any point, you might consider taking more ownership of your work in the sense of producing and directing them?
I have had this conversation with several people. For instance, if you look at the best movies, you will notice their writers are usually the directors. Yeah, I want to produce, but I don’t think I have the patience to be a director. I would rather hire the director I want to work with. I also don’t want to rush into something because it’s trendy. If the director’s vision does not align with mine, I can fire the person and get another with whom I share the same vision.
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