Lagos, Nigeria, 27 September 2023
Dubbed as the first International Independent Nigerian female led movie in recent years, 180 Nigeria, a feel good family movie that will showcase the beauty of Nigeria to the world will start shooting soon.
A Press conference was held on September 26th at Ogidi Studios in Lagos, which was attended by media personalities from TV, radio, print and social media.
The panellists consisted of the top media personalities of Nigeria Ms. TOKE MAKINWA (radio personality, television host, vlogger, lifestyle entrepreneur, actress and author), Ms. Diji Shujahi (CEO of Pinnaclemena Media Nigeria), Ms. Yemisi Falaye (representing The Temple Management Company), Mr. Princewill Utchay (Managing Partner of Oxygen) and Dr Tunde Lawrenson (CEO of Xmedia, Script supervisor).
Ms. Diji Shujahi opened with a quick description about the company and the movie saying “180 Nigeria is a project we are really honored to bring to Nigeria as this is a storyline that appeals to a lot of our values and missions as an organization.
First of all we want to thank Stellar International for being early supporters and funders for the 180 Nigeria movie, they believed in the story and the message and giving us the support we need to produce it. Stellar International’s mission is supporting Nigerian talents internationally.
This movie highlights grassroot charities and talks about those people who selflessly serve and sacrifice to make the world a better place for others. At the same time, it is also a movie which highlights Nigeria to the world. We are travelling to 10 states in Nigeria, showcasing the various cultures, traditions, nature, and landscapes that Nigeria has to offer to the world. Movies have always been a means of transcending boundaries and we hope that 180 Nigeria will be able to bring a fresh perspective of Nigeria to the international community.”.
Then Toke spoke about her accepting the lead role and joining in as an executive producer as well “I was particularly drawn to this script because though it is a feel good movie that showcases lifestyle, it carries a very strong message of humanity, giving back and truly caring about the people in need” As much as I love acting, I have been thinking about the next step in my career and this movie seemed to be the right opportunity for me to don the hat of an executive producer and have my inputs in the development of this movie”.
“The Temple Management Company and Ogidi studios are delighted to be a part of 180 Nigeria as it is a project which would showcase the creative side of Nigeria to the world. Many talents in Nigeria are not getting the right roles they deserve mostly because of the lack of scripts that can appeal to their talents. Many artists are stereotyped to playing roles that keep their relevance in the industry. Movies and scripts like this will bring International projects and ideas to Nigeria and take Nigeria to the Global stage where it deserves”, Yemisi Falaye, Head of Legal, representing the Temple Management Company.
“Bridging the gap thru entertainment….this has always been our goal for over a decade…we pioneered the athletes in diaspora community intervention program, where we brought NFL stars to provide medical outreach and sporting clinics to under privileged Nigerians around the country….with 180 we saw an opportunity to continue this good work as the movie will be bringing to light charity organizations that are in need of support. As well as highlight Nigeria as a possible tourist destination. Seeing that these were the goals this movie hopes to achieve, we had no choice but to come on board to support a cause like this” said Mr. Princewill Utchay representing oxygen.
“Nigeria is a force to reckon with on a global scale. Our music and fashion has transcended boundaries and it is time we take our movies to the global scale too. 180 showcases not just 10 different states in Nigeria, but the different culture, traditions, landscapes and languages that we speak. Our Pidgin English is been spoken in many first world countries now and through this movie, we hope to explore this as an unifying language along with the addition of the various tribal languages and dialects to appeal to all Nigerians”, Dr Tunde Lawrenson regarding the script.
Director Bunmi Ajakaiye couldn’t be present in the press conference but taking the helm as the Director for the 180 Nigeria movie she sent this: ”I am a especially passionate about telling stories from the female gaze. The African woman is one of the most intriguing, compelling and complex characters ever to exist and because of the unique society in which she finds herself, the issues she faces daily are endless. Therefore, capturing her triumphs, sacrifices, fearlessness and freedom through the lens will never lose its appeal. The story of “180” drew me in from my first conversation with the producers. A complex character easy to dismiss from the outside who breaks the norms of what we visually correlate with humanitarian endeavors interests me a lot.
180 Nigeria will start production soon between Dubai and Nigeria.
For further details – please contact Grace Oluwatofunmi at: +234 814 531 8310