Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has signed a groundbreaking agreement with Benin Republic to construct a major film production facility and co-produce content focused on Orisha and Vodun spirituality for global streaming audiences.
The deal, announced this week, positions the acclaimed Nollywood director to build cross-border infrastructure as international streaming platforms compete for authentic African spiritual content. The project signals Nigerian entertainment industry's expanding regional ambitions beyond domestic production.
Afolayan, whose films including The Figurine and Citation have achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim, will develop the Vodun Film City in collaboration with Beninese cultural authorities. The facility will house sound stages, post-production equipment, and research centers documenting spiritual traditions shared across the Yoruba-Fon cultural zone spanning southwestern Nigeria and southern Benin.
"Yoruba and Vodun traditions are connected—our ancestors practiced the same spirituality before colonial borders divided us," Afolayan explained in announcing the partnership. "This isn't a Nigerian project in Benin. It's a West African project telling our shared stories to the world."
The initiative reflects growing global demand for African spiritual narratives. Streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ compete for content featuring African traditional religion, mythology, and folklore—genres that Nigerian producers have successfully commercialized through Nollywood's distribution networks.
Nollywood, the world's second-largest film industry by production volume, generates an estimated $5 billion annually and employs millions across production, distribution, and informal sectors. The industry has evolved from low-budget direct-to-video productions to sophisticated films attracting international investment and streaming platform acquisitions.
In Nigeria, as across Africa's giants, challenges are real but entrepreneurial energy and cultural creativity drive progress. While infrastructure limitations persist—unreliable power supply affects post-production, limited cinema screens constrain theatrical releases—Nollywood has adapted by pioneering digital distribution models and mobile-first viewing platforms.
The Benin Republic partnership addresses a specific production challenge: documenting and dramatizing Vodun spiritual practices that originated in the region before spreading through the African diaspora to Haiti, Cuba, and Brazil. Benin maintains extensive Vodun temples, priesthoods, and ritual knowledge that Nigerian filmmakers can access through the partnership.
"Global audiences want authentic African spirituality, not Hollywood's version of 'voodoo,'" said Marie Hounguè, a Beninese cultural official involved in negotiations. "This collaboration allows us to control our narratives and benefit economically from international interest in our heritage."
The project also reflects Nigerian cultural industry's regional expansion strategy. As domestic markets mature and international demand grows, Nollywood producers increasingly look beyond Nigeria's borders for locations, stories, and co-production partnerships. Similar initiatives exist in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa.
Streaming platforms' appetite for African content has intensified competition. Netflix committed $175 million to African productions in recent years, while other platforms invest heavily in local-language content. African spiritual narratives—featuring deities, traditional healers, and mythology—perform exceptionally well with both African and diaspora audiences.
The Vodun Film City will also serve educational purposes, training West African filmmakers in production techniques and preserving cultural knowledge through digital archives. Afolayan announced partnerships with film schools in Lagos and Cotonou to develop curriculum focused on culturally authentic storytelling.
For Nigeria, the project demonstrates how cultural exports drive soft power beyond Afrobeats music and social media influence. Nollywood increasingly shapes how global audiences understand African spirituality, history, and contemporary life—a form of influence that transcends economic metrics.
The Benin Republic government views the partnership as economic development strategy, anticipating tourism increases, job creation, and international attention. The country already attracts Vodun heritage tourists, particularly from the African diaspora; a major film production facility could amplify those numbers.
Production on the first co-produced series, tentatively titled Crossroads of the Gods, begins later this year with filming locations across both countries. Afolayan described the series as exploring how Orisha/Vodun deities navigate the modern world—a premise that blends traditional spirituality with contemporary African urban life.
"We're not making museum pieces about the past," Afolayan said. "We're telling stories about living traditions that continue shaping how millions of people understand the world. That's the power of African storytelling—our traditions aren't dead; they're dynamic."
