Kunle Afolayan

Nigerian actor, director and producer (born 1975)

Kunle Afolayan

Afolayan at the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards

Born|  (1975-09-30) 30 September 1975 (age 49)[1]

Ebute Metta, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

Nationality| Nigerian
Alma mater| New York Film Academy
Occupations|

* Actor
* Director
* Producer

Years active| 1999-Present
Known for| Saworoide, Agogo Ewo, Phone Swap, 1 October
Spouse|

Tolu Afolayan

(m. 2007; div. 2019)​

Children| 4
Parent| Adeyemi Josiah Afolayan (Ade Love - father)
Relatives| Moji Afolayan (sister)
Gabriel Afolayan (brother)
Aremu Afolayan (brother)
Anu Afolayan (brother)

Kunle Afolayan (listenⓘ) (born 30 September 1975) is a Nigerian actor, producer, and director.[2] He is credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood movies through larger budgets, shooting on 35mm, releasing in cinemas, and improving cliché Nollywood storylines.[3] His directing credits include the Aníkúlápó franchise, The Figurine, Phone Swap, October 1, and Citation.[4] Afolayan is the CEO of Golden Effects Pictures, a Nigerian film and production company incorporated in 2005.[5][6][7]

## Early life and education

[edit]

Afolayan is of Igbomina-Yoruba descent and is from Kwara State.[8][9][10] His father, Ade Love, was a theatre and film director and his mother, Adeola, also worked in the theater.[11] He has four siblings, Gabriel Afolayan, Aremu Afolayan, Moji Afolayan—all actors—and Anu Afoloyan, a film composer.

Afoloyan attended Nigerian Model Primary School in Lagos, and then went on to Federal Government College, also in Lagos, for his secondary education. He received a bachelor's degree in economics at the University of Lagos. In 2005 he acquired a diploma in digital filmmaking from the New York Film Academy.[11]

## Career

[edit]

### Early work and breakthrough (1998–2010)

[edit]

Afolayan started his film career as an actor in Tunde Kelani's political drama Saworoide, released in 1999. Kelani encouraged Afolayan, who was more interested in being a director, to first become an actor before moving behind the camera. Between 1998 and 2004, Afolayan appeared in several Nollywood films while also working at a bank in corporate affairs. After quitting his banking career to pursue a full-time career in film, Afolayan attended the New York Film Academy where he received a diplomat in digital filmmaking in 2005.[12]

In 2006 Afolayan made his directorial debut with Irapada, a supernatural thriller which won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Film in an African Language.[13] It is considered to be among the first Nollywood films in the mid-2000's to represent the New Nigerian Cinema, a move away from low-budget, straight-to-video films toward higher production value films with complex storylines that were intended to be seen in cinemas.[14] Afoloayan said of Irapada, of which sixty percent was in English, that it was misunderstood as it concerns the film's Yoruba designation. "It's not about if it is an English, Yoruba or Igbo movie. Irapada is a purely Nigerian movie because it has all the Nigerian Major languages. We wanted to do something that will not only be peculiar to one's one's race but to the entire nation, something that will attract an average movie lover."[15]

His second film,The Figurine (2010), was a critical and commercial success, turning Afolayan into one of Nollywood's best-known filmmakers. It received ten nominations and won five awards at the 6th Africa Movie Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Achievement in Visual Effect, Heart of African Award for Best Film from Nigeria, Achievement in Cinematography, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.[16] Subject of a scholarly book, Auteuring Nollywood: Critical Perspectives on The Figurine, The Figurine solidified Afolayan's position as one of the leading Nigerian directors pushing for a new kind of Nollywood filmmaking that could compete on the international stage.[17]

### Career progression and Netflix partnership (2011–present)

[edit]

Afolayan's next film, Phone Swap (2012), was conceived in response to an advertising brief on behalf of a corporate sponsor for a film that would appeal to the 15-45 age demographic. Afolayan intentionally sought to direct a comedy to diversify his production company. "Phone Swap is something different from what I’ve done in the past. It’s light, it’s bright, it’s a different genre from Irapada or from The Figurine." It received 4 nominations at the 8th Africa Movie Academy Awards, including the category Best Nigerian Film and won the award Achievement in Production Design.

In 2014, Afolayan had another commercial and critical success with October 1, a thriller taking place in 1960 colonial Nigeria. It was the winner of 16 major African movie awards—including Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor at the 2014 Africa International Film Festival—and was the second highest grossing Nigerian film at the time of its release, a feat Afolayan was to repeat two years later with The CEO. As of April 2025, both films rank #66 on the List of highest-grossing Nigerian films. In 2015, Netflix acquired the online distribution rights to October 1, making it one of the first Nollywood films to be featured on the streamer.[18]

Afolayan next helmed The Bridge (2017), a romantic drama starring Nigerian singer Chidinma in her first acting role. The film, in which Chidinma's Igbo characters falls in love with a Yoruba prince, was in part a social commentary about the pressures young Nigerian couples face involving class and tribe in their marriage choices. That same year, the director released the comedy Omugwo. The plots centers on a couple played by Ken Erics and Omowumi Dada whose mothers, portrayed by Ayo Adesanya and Patience Ozokwor, move in with them to perform Omugwo, an Igbo tradition of postpartum care provided a mother and her newborn. Comedy blends with social commentary as the rivalry between the two mothers of differing cultural backgrounds complicate the young couple's lives.[19]

In 2021 Kunle released Citation, a Netflix drama based on the real-life issue of sexual assault on Nigerian college campuses starring Jimmy Jean-Louis as the accused professor and Temi Otedola as his victim. Film critic Tambay Obenson observed that while the film depicts an issue that is not unusual in film, it does so through a West African lens rarely seen by international audiences.[20] Citation was the fourth Afolayan film that Netflix had acquired online distribution rights for in addition to The CEO, October 1, and The Figurine. Later that year, the streamer announced it was expanding the scope of its partnership with Afolayan by commissioning three original movies : a historical drama, a folklore fantasy, and a character drama.[21]

Swallow, the screen adaption of Sefi Atta's book by the same name was the first Netflix release in October 2021. Taking place in Lagos in the 1980s, the gritty drama follows a young woman played by Ijeoma Grace Agu who weighs whether to become a drug mule. Netflix next released Aníkúlápó, an epic Nigerian fantasy, in September 2022. Afolayan described the film as a "Game of Thrones recreated in Nigeria but with a better representation of our culture”.[22] Eleven days after its release, it was the #1 most-watched non-English Netflix original film.[23] In 2023 it was also the most nominated film at the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, with 16 nods.[24] The film's sequel, Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre, was released as a six-episode series on March 1, 2024.[25] It ranked as a top-10 Netflix release for 10 weeks in Nigeria, amassing over 13M viewed hours.[26] In October 2024, the director announced that Netflix had renewed the series for a second season.[27]

Ijogbon, the third of Afolayan's Netflix three-picture deal, was released in October 2023. Scripted by Tunde Babalola of October 1 and Citation, he film is a coming-of-age drama centered on four friends in rural South West Nigeria who stumble across a bag of uncut diamonds. Within its first two weeks, the film claimed a Global Top 10 spot and ranked in the Top 10 in sixteen countries.[26]

In November 2024, Afolayan's psychological thriller Recall premiered at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). In the same vein as other of the director''s works such as The Figurine, Irapada, and Aníkúlápó, the film's narrative is situated within the context of African spirituality. Anita (Sharon Ooja) and Goke (Olarotimi Fakunle) have been married for 10 years and have two children. A day after their anniversary, their world is upended when Anita loses her memory, and a series of long-hidden secrets creates a deep divide between them.[28] The film was released in Nigerian cinemas on April 4, 2025.[29]

While a beneficiary of a Netflix partnership over the years, Afolayan has also been a proponent of the Nigerian film industry doing more to diversify and strengthen its own distribution platforms.[30] In early 2025 he released several films whose licensing agreements with Netflix had expired—The Figurine, Phone Swap, and The CEO—for free viewing on his YouTube's KAPStream channel.[31][26] In a Channels TV interview, he explained that due to the very limited African cinema distribution at the time of their release, this was an opportunity to bring the films to a wider audience. He added that filmmakers should balance their commercial imperatives with ensuring their works remain relevant and available for future generations.[32]

## Personal life

[edit]

Afolayan married Tolu Afolayan in 2007, and divorced in 2019. They have four children.[33][34] He identifies as a Freethinker.[35]

## Controversy

[edit]

On 6 April 2015, Afolayan posted a tweet which implied that Igbos were the majority group behind copyright infringement in Nigeria.[36] The backlash from fans led to an apology from Afolayan and an explanation that he was concerned about the piracy of his films, especially of unlicensed copies of October 1, his latest film at the time at the time.[37][38] Shortly after the controversy, on 13 April 2015 pirated copies of October 1 hit the market.[39]

In an interview with Cable magazine,[40] Afolayan was quoted as saying he does not watch a lot of Nigerian movies; ″Truth be told, I hardly watch them because I am keen on watching movies that will challenge me and change my orientation about certain things.″ and this led to him receiving several heated responses from fans and some colleagues in the Nigerian film industry.[41] A few days after, Afolayan explained that his quote had been taken out of context.[42]

## Filmography

[edit]

Year  | Film  | Role  | Notes  | Ref

|
|
|
|

Actor  | Director  | Producer  | Writer
1999  | Saworoide | Yes  |  |  |  |  |
2002  | Agogo Eewo | Yes  |  |  |  |  |
2005  | Ti Ala Ba Ku | Yes  |  |  |  |  |
2006  | Irapada | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  | [43]
Èjiwòrò | Yes  |  |  |  |  |
2007  | Onitemi | Yes  |  |  |  |  |
2009  | The Figurine | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  | [44]
Farayola | Yes  |  |  |  |  |
2012  | Phone Swap | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  | [45]
2014  | Dazzling Mirage | Yes  |  |  |  |  | [46]
1 October | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  | [39]
2016  | The CEO |  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  | [5]
2017  | The Bridge | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |  | [47]
Omugwo |  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  | [48]
2018  | Crazy People | Yes  |  |  |  |  |
2019  | Mokalik |  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  | [49]
Diamonds in the Sky |  | Yes  |  |  |  | [50]
2020  | Citation |  | Yes  |  |  |  | [51][52]
2021  | Ayinla | Yes  |  |  |  |  | [53]
Swallow | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  | [54]
A Naija Christmas |  | Yes  |  |  |  | [55]
2022  | Anikulapo | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  |
2023  | Ijogbon [56] |  |  | yes  |  |  |
2024  | Recall |  | Yes  | Yes  |  |  | [28]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Film  | Result  | Ref

|
|
|
|
|

2019  | Best of Nollywood Awards | Director of the Year  | Diamond in the Sky | Nominated  | [50]
2021  | Net Honours  | Most Searched Actor  |  | Nominated  | [57]
2023  | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Indigenous Language – Yoruba  | Anikulapo | Won  | [58]
Best Movie West Africa  | Nominated
Best Overall Movie  | Won
Best Director  | Nominated

## See also

[edit]

* List of Yoruba people
* List of Nigerian film producers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Its Kunle Afolayan's birthday". The Nation. 30 September 2014. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
2. ^ "Kunle Afolayan set to release 'ROTI'". Vanguard News. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
3. ^ "Out of Africa: Kunle Afolayan bids to bring Nollywood cinema to the world". the Guardian. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
4. ^ Europe, Canon. "Kunle Afolayan on filming Citation". Canon Europe. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
5. ^ a b "The CEO: Kunle Afolayan unveils cast of multi-lingual movie". The Nation. 29 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
6. ^ "NET Special: 2014 Most influential people in entertainment". Nigerian Entertainment Today. 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
7. ^ Nigeria, News Agency of (19 November 2017). "Nollywood powerful tool for "soft" diplomacy – Audu Kadiri". TODAY.NG. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
8. ^ Akande, Victor (22 December 2012). "Kunle Afolayan on the trail of Yoruba deities". The Nation. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
9. ^ "'Mi smo nova filmska revolucija'". www.tportal.hr. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
10. ^ "234Next.com". Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
11. ^ a b Amoo, Shuqrah (11 July 2023). "Kunle Afolayan (Profile), Nigerian Filmmaker". The Journal. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
12. ^ "Kunle Afolayan". Africa Interviews. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
13. ^ "He is Kunle Afolayan". blog.mipad.org. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
14. ^ "EMCA | Chronicle of The New Nigerian Cinema". Retrieved 6 April 2025.
15. ^ ""Irapada has not been fairly judged".......Kunle Afolayan". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
16. ^ nyfa. "NYFA Graduate's Film Sweeps African Academy Awards". NYFA. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
17. ^ Staff, Shadow and Act. "Nigerian Supernatural Thriller Classic 'The Figurine' Revisited (Pan African Film Festival, Feb 15) - Blavity". Blavity News & Entertainment. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
18. ^ www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/entertainment/175482-kunle-afolayans-october-1-gets-netflix-deal.html. Retrieved 6 April 2025. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
19. ^ www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/entertainment/nollywood/228313-kunle-afolayans-latest-flick-omugwo-opens-nigerian-cinemas.html?tztc=1. Retrieved 6 April 2025. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
20. ^ Obenson, Tambay (8 November 2020). "'Citation' Review: A Compelling Examination of Sexual Assault on a Nigerian College Campus". IndieWire. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
21. ^ Grater, Tom (10 March 2021). "Netflix Partners With Nigerian Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan On 3 Features". Deadline. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
22. ^ BellaNaija.com (2 August 2022). "Kunle Afolayan's Film "Anikulapo" is Coming to Netflix on September 30!". BellaNaija. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
23. ^ YNaija; YNaija (12 October 2022). "Aníkúlápó ranks No.1 globally on Netflix". YNaija. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
24. ^ "AMVCA 2023: And The Big Nominees Are…". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
25. ^ "'Anikulapo: Rise of The Spectre' Review: Kunle Afolayan's Sequel Series Doesn't Live Up to Its Rebirth - What Kept Me Up". 7 March 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
26. ^ a b c "After a Netflix-Focused Era, Kunle Afolayan Brings 'Recall' to the Big Screen - What Kept Me Up". 4 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
27. ^ Fasan, Yewande (7 October 2024). "Netflix renews Kunle Afolayan's 'Anikulapo' for second season". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
28. ^ a b Mirilla, Dennis Da-ala (12 November 2024). "With "Recall" Kunle Afolayan Takes Another Stab at African Spirituality". Zikoko!. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
29. ^ "Kunle Afolayan shines at FESPACO 2025". Retrieved 9 April 2025.
30. ^ ADEKUNLE, MUSA (6 December 2024). "I never said Netflix is leaving Nigeria - Kunle Afolayan". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
31. ^ Lawal, Khadijat (12 February 2025). "VIDEO: Why I Released My 2016 Blockbuster 'THE CEO' On YouTube – Afolayan". Channels Television. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
32. ^ Lawal, Khadijat (12 February 2025). "VIDEO: Why I Released My 2016 Blockbuster 'THE CEO' On YouTube – Afolayan". Channels Television. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
33. ^ "Kunle Afolayan: "Does our Government consider Us worthy Citizens of Nigeria?"". bellanaija.com. 8 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
34. ^ "I work too hard but i'm still a tenant" – Kunle Afolayan to relocate from Nigeria". dailypost.ng. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
35. ^ "Dad didn't encourage his children to act -Kunle Afolayan". Ilorin Info. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
36. ^ Guardian, The (18 April 2015). "Kunle Afolayan Retracts Hate Tweet, Tenders Unreserved Apology". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
37. ^ Chidumga Izuzu (9 April 2015). "Kunle Afolayan on controversial tweets: "I was not aware of the Oba's comment, I was just bitter" [Video]". pulse.ng. Archived from the original on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
38. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: "I Was Just Bitter", Kunle Afolayan On His 'Igbo' Tweets - Channels Television". Channels Television. 8 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
39. ^ a b ""Pirated copies of October 1 film now released, please don't buy"". Pulse Nigeria. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
40. ^ "INTERVIEW: Why I enrolled my son in a mechanic workshop, by Kunle Afolayan". thecable.ng. 15 September 2018. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
41. ^ "Egor Efiok slams Kunle Afolayan over comment of not watching Nollywood movies". Nigeria News - Laila's Blog. 16 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
42. ^ says, Stefanie (17 September 2018). "Kunle Afolayan Debunks Nollywood Film Rumour". P.M. News. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
43. ^ "Leila Djansi's Sinking Sands Listed On CNN Among 10 Must-See African Films". news1ghana.com. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
44. ^ Obenson, Tambay A. (28 October 2013). "Halloween 2013 Countdown - Nigerian Director Kunle Afolayan's Horror/Thriller 'The Figurine'". IndieWire. Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
45. ^ "His New Movie "Phone Swap" Beat Hollywood Blockbusters in Nigerian Cinemas: Find Out How Award Winning Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan Did It!". BellaNaija. 19 April 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
46. ^ Nwanne Chuks (28 June 2014). "Lala Dazzles In Kelani's Dazzling Mirage". The Guardian (Nigeria). Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
47. ^ nollywoodreinvented (13 September 2019). "The Bridge". Nollywood REinvented. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
48. ^ "Kunle Afolayan, Omowunmi Dada, Ayo Adesanya attend media screening". www.pulse.ng. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
49. ^ "Movie Review: Kunle Afolayan's 'Mokalik' thrives on memory, not viewer satisfaction". 24 November 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
50. ^ a b Bada, Gbenga (15 December 2019). "BON Awards 2019: 'Gold Statue', Gabriel Afolayan win big at 11th edition". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
51. ^ Augoye, Jayne (3 November 2020). "Kunle Afolayan screens 'Citation' in Lagos". Premium Times. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
52. ^ Report, Agency (8 July 2022). "Kunle Afolayan's Citation wins 'Best International Film' in UK award". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
53. ^ Nwogu, Precious (14 December 2020). "Tunde Kelani announces production of Ayinla Omowura biopic titled 'Ayinla'". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
54. ^ "Swallow (2021) review – this is hard to swallow". Ready Steady Cut. October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
55. ^ Kennedy, Lisa (16 December 2021). "'A Naija Christmas' Review: Honoring a Mother's Wish - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
56. ^ "Ijogbon", Wikipedia, 15 October 2023, retrieved 18 October 2023
57. ^ "Net Honours - The Class of 2021". Nigerian Entertainment Today. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
58. ^ "Full List: Here are all our AMVCA 9 Nominees". AMVCA - Full List: Here are all our AMVCA 9 Nominees. Retrieved 23 April 2023.[permanent dead link]

* v
* t
* e

Films by Kunle Afolayan

Director|

* The Figurine (2009)
* The Bridge (2017)
* Diamonds in the Sky (2019)
* Citation (2020)
* A Naija Christmas (2021)

Director and Producer|

* Phone Swap (2012)
* October 1 (2014)
* The CEO (2016)
* Omugwo (2017)
* Mokalik (2019)
* Aníkúlápó (2022)

Director, Producer and Writer|

* Irapada (2006)
* Swallow (2021)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* Netherlands

Other|

* IdRef

## External links

[edit]

Kunle Afolayan at IMDb
*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template