Earlier in the year, Netflix announced its entry into the Nigerian market with a big splash by targetting some of the most prominent creators in the space. While there has been little to no detail on the nature of some of these relationships, it has been announced today that Ebony Life’s Mo Abudu will be adapting Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives into a series and Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horsemen into a film. Ms. Abudu will also produce two new Nigerian Originals plus licensed films AND a series for Netflix. Abudu had already announced the acquisition of rights to the Soyinka play in 2018.
📣We’ve got MAJOR news for you today! Netflix has partnered with acclaimed producer @MoAbudu to bring you two of Nigeria’s most beloved literary classics to screens around the world! 📚🎥 pic.twitter.com/3zAE4zAndH
— Netflix Naija (@NetflixNaija) June 12, 2020
A series-adaptation of @LolaShoneyin‘sThe Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives and a film-adaptation of Prof. Wole Soyinka’s Death And The King’s Horseman! 🇳🇬
— Netflix Naija (@NetflixNaija) June 12, 2020
Wait…there’s more! @MoAbudu and her @EbonyLife_TV will produce two new Nigerian Originals plus licensed films AND a series for Netflix!
This na Naija!! 🎉
— Netflix Naija (@NetflixNaija) June 12, 2020
Why’s this important?
As Netflix increases its presence on the continent, its original content has leaned away from the Nollywood market more to the South African market which it had used as its gateway into the continent. However, this announcement highlights the importance of Nollywood going forward. While the Nollywood market currently centers around remakes, in wake of the success of Living in Bondage: Breaking Free, this shift towards the adaptation of literary content could serve as a boon in an industry where they are not too common. This could also have an added benefit for the publishers as a potential layer of income to be explored further.