Nollywood leaders and creative technologists are urging immediate capital investment in African AI infrastructure to shift the continent from passive consumer to active player in global technology markets. The demand emerged at the SMC Filmmakers’ Forum on AI and Filmmaking in Nigeria, organized by the Nollywood Studies Centre at Pan-Atlantic University’s School of Media and Communication.
The event brought together renowned Nigerian filmmakers and AI innovators, including Obi Emelonye, Nollywood director and producer; Obinna Okerekeocha, founder of the Naija AI Festival; and Stanley Ohikhuare, founder of the International AI Film Academy Awards (BlackAIfest), in a discussion on the impact and possibilities of AI for filmmaking in Nigeria.
Speaking during the event, Okerekeocha emphasised the need for Nigeria to own and train its own AI models that reflect African nuances.
“Most of the Large Language Models (LLMs) were not trained with African information; however, that is beginning to change. With this use, the models are beginning to understand and learn about Africa. However, there is still a massive gap for us to train our own models. We need to look inwards and invest, and not just look to the West for these models,” he said.
Ohikhuare called the absence of African data “a blessing in disguise,” arguing that Africa still has a chance to protect its IP before global systems fully absorb its cultural materials. “This is the age of IP protection. If we don’t secure our stories, our likenesses, our traditions, they will once again be repackaged and sold back to us,” he warned. He also emphasised the opportunities and challenges that exist with the use of AI for creative endeavours.
Ohikhuare emphasized that the era of AI filmmaking is fundamentally the era of intellectual property (IP) protection and enrichment, asserting that individuals are deliberately creating legal pitfalls with their IPs. he warned that this age of IP involves money to be made and lost, predicting numerous lawsuits in the coming years.
In discussing the prospects of AI for filmmaking, Ohikhuare described AI as “the great equalizer” that is collapsing the boundaries between large studio systems and independent creators. “What a huge team working for seven months could achieve, one person can now do with a few prompts in front of a computer,” he said. He explained that AI has transformed his filmmaking process, allowing him to complete five AI-assisted films and a feature-length production scheduled for release in December. “It’s the biggest opportunity for African filmmakers to tell high-end stories without waiting for big budgets,” Ohikhuare added.
Emelonye, known for The Mirror Boy and Last Flight to Abuja, agreed that AI should be seen as an enhancer rather than a replacement for creativity. Drawing from his experience using Midjourney for visual design on his award-winning films Blackmail and Out of Breath, Emelonye said AI had become “an integral tool” in filmmaking but could not substitute for narrative mastery.
“A film must still have a beginning, a middle, and an end with well-rounded characters,” he said. “We’ve reached a point where special effects are no longer special, as everybody can do them with AI. The only true ‘wow’ left is good storytelling.”
For Okerekeocha, the true promise of AI lies in enabling “the future of African storytelling, allowing a filmmaker in a remote area with a laptop and internet access to tell the story he’s always wanted to tell”. He emphasized that AI’s power lies in democratizing access, but that reativity and craft remain essential. “If you’re a lazy creator, AI won’t suddenly make you a better one,” he cautioned. “The science of storytelling hasn’t changed; AI is just a tool that expands what you can do.”
While commending the existence of Nigeria’s National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Okerekeocha stressed that more needs to be done to localize the technology for the creative sector. “There’s no focus yet on film,” he said. “We need to build our own data centres and models trained on African languages, traditions, and aesthetics.”
Citing new initiatives like AI Studio NG and Spitch, which use Nigerian data sets for voice and visual tools, as evidence of homegrown potential, he said: “We’re great creators, but ownership is everything. We must build, not just consume.”
As the session concluded, participants called for sustained dialogue on regulation and policy tailored to Nigeria’s creative industries.
