Kunle Afolayan seals historic Film Pact with Benin Republic

In a landmark move poised to reshape African cinema and cross-border creative collaboration, Kunle Afolayan Production (KAP) Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Benin in Lagos.

The agreement, sealed at the KAP Hub, Afolayan’s one-stop creative centre and headquarters of the KAP Group, on Thursday, follows a high-level invitation from the Beninese Presidency to establish a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the audio-visual and film production landscape across the region.

Described by both parties as a historic alliance, the MoU signals a shared ambition to harness cinema, youth development and creative enterprise as engines of cultural diplomacy, economic growth and Africa’s global creative influence.

Last month, acclaimed filmmaker and KAP Group CEO Kunle Afolayan, alongside Executive Director ‘Seun Soyinka, led a high-powered management delegation to the Republic of Benin.

The visit involved extensive consultations with senior government officials and key stakeholders in the country’s audio-visual and cinematography sectors.

Discussions centred on building sustainable frameworks to elevate local content creation, strengthen technical capacity and position Benin as an emerging hub for film and creative excellence on the continent.

Following a directive from the Beninese President, a high-level government delegation formalised the partnership in Lagos.

Members of the visiting team included Sinatou Saka, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Media and Audiovisual Affairs; Coline-Lee Toumson-Venite, Special Adviser to the President for Arts and Culture; Bassirou Ndiaye, CEO of SOPA S.A; Faissol Gnonlonfin, Director of Cinema and Performing Arts at the Agency for the Development of Arts and Culture (ADAC), representing the Minister of Culture; and Meto Adoglo, Programme Manager for Storytelling at Sèmè City.

The host team was led by Afolayan, Soyinka and Professor Tunji Azeez, Head of School at the KAP Film & Television Academy.

The partnership is anchored on three core pillars: co-production of films that authentically tell African stories while expanding the global reach of the continent’s cinema; structured youth training across all areas of filmmaking and creative production; and the development, equipping and operation of a world-class Film City in Ouidah, Benin.

The initiative will leverage the expertise of existing KAP subsidiaries, including KAP Motion Pictures, the KAP Film & Television Academy and the KAP Film Village & Resort.

As part of the official programme running from February 19 to 22, the Beninese delegation is scheduled to tour KAP Group’s production hub in Lagos and the KAP Film Village & Resort in Igbojaye-Komu, Oyo State, a creative ecosystem widely regarded as a model for integrated film production, training and cultural tourism in Africa.

Speaking on the development, Afolayan described the collaboration as transformative.

“It is a defining moment for African cinema, where visionary leadership, cultural authenticity, and creative enterprise converge to project our stories, our people, and our creative strength to the world in the most compelling way,” he said.

Also commenting, Sinatou Saka expressed optimism about the formalisation of the agreement.

“We are finally happy to be working in partnership with Kunle Afolayan, especially in the area of capacity building,” she said.

Both parties described the MoU as the beginning of a long-term strategic alliance committed to raising standards in film production, creative education and cultural expression across Africa.