FG congratulates Mo Abudu on landmark Netflix deal

The Federal Government of Nigeria has congratulated media entrepreneur and filmmaker Mo Abudu over her partnership with leading global streaming service Netflix, TopNaija reports.

The partnership entails creating two original series as well as multiple Netflix-branded films.

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Good morning beautiful People ❤️??? . . Such great news to share with you today ?????? . . EBONYLIFE today has made history as the first African and first Nigerian production company to sign a multiple deal with Netflix. . . The deal signed by EbonyLife with Netflix is unprecedented and groundbreaking on our continent. . . We will over the next few years produce two major IP titles – "The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives" by the super talented writer, @LolaShoneyin and "Death and the King's Horseman" by Africa's first Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka . . In addition to these two IP titles, we will also be producing a slate of original shows created by EbonyLife exclusively under license to Netflix. . . I am thrilled and grateful to #MyAwesomeGod, The Netflix team @DGhettuba #BenAmadasun and of course the incredible EBONYLIFE team. . . It truly is time to tell our stories and I am super pleased that we have an opportunity to do this now in partnership with the world's leading internet entertainment service with 183 million paid members in over 190 countries. We really are truly changing the narrative and I am so grateful. ??? . #AfricaRiseAndShine #NigeriaToTheWorld #EbonyLifeChangingTheNarrative #NetflixEbonyLifePartnership #NetflixXEbonyLife #MyAwesomeGod #SlideLeft

A post shared by Mo Abudu (@moabudu) on Jun 12, 2020 at 1:21am PDT

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, by his SA on media, Segun Adeyemi, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the partnership, for on-screen adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s ‘Death and The King’s Horseman’ and Lola Shoneyin’s ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’, adds another feather to Mo Abudu’s already well-adorned creative cap.

For criticising Lai Mohammed, court remands Osun-based poet Nigeria’s Anthony Alabi stars on Netflix show, ‘Family Reunion’ The Minister also described the deal as a big boost for the country’s Creative Industry, at a time the industry is reeling from the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

”Coming after Netflix’s first Nigeria original film, Lionheart, this is a great recognition of the immense creative talents that abound in Nigeria and the provision of a global platform for Nigeria storytelling,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed expressed the hope that this partnership will signal the beginning of a bigger, mutually-beneficial working relationship between the streaming service and Nigeria’s Creatives.

American media streaming service and producer, Netflix, announced a partnership with Nigerian filmmaker, Mo Abudu to create new content from the country.

The partnership with Netflix will see on-screen adaptations of literary works by two award-winning Nigerian authors, Lola Shoneyin and Wole Soyinka.

Shoneyin’s debut novel, “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives,” will be developed into a series, and Soyinka’s play, “Death and the King’s Horseman,” will be adapted into a film.

“We’re thrilled about this first-of-its-kind partnership in Africa that will bring some of Nigeria — and Africa’s — most iconic storytelling to screen. We look forward to supporting Mo as she brings all these diverse Nigerian stories to the world,” Netflix’s lead for original series in Africa, Dorothy Ghettuba, said in a statement on Friday. Abudu said the partnership is a testament to Netflix’s investment in African storytelling.