On a symbolic morning in Ara kingdom in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, something more than soil was turned. A vision was set in motion. The foundation for what is poised to become Africa’s largest and most forward-thinking creative hub, TOP Film Village, was officially laid on June 14, 2025.
The ceremony, graced by royal fathers including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi CFR, and the Alara of Ara Kingdom, Oba (Dr.) Olubayo Windapo Oyelade and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, attracted stakeholders across the creative spectrum, including filmmakers, investors, traditional custodians, cultural ambassadors, and the media.
In his impassioned welcome address, Dr Tunji Olugbodi, the visionary behind the project and a long-standing champion of Nigeria’s creative economy, emphasised the historical significance of both the site and the mission.
The event also witnessed the chieftaincy conferment of Asiwaju and Yeye Asiwaju on Olugbodi and his wife, Biyi.
Speaking during the ground-breaking exercise, Olugbodi said, “This is not just a construction project. We are invoking the spirit of our ancestors—the pioneers who first told our stories under moonlight, in courtyards and compounds.
“From this same Osun, the likes of Hubert Ogunde, Duro Ladipo, and Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala) launched a revolution in African theatre and cinema. Today, we reclaim that legacy and expand it.”
Osun State is no stranger to the arts. It is a land steeped in culture, folklore, and performance. The state’s sacred groves, bata drums, and masked festivals have long been reference points in African art history.
In the 1950s and 60s, Yoruba travelling theatre emerged as a dominant form of entertainment, eventually giving birth to the Yoruba-language film industry and, later, Nollywood itself. Artists like Ogunde, Ladipo, and Baba Sala didn’t just entertain; they created a unique, culturally rooted form of cinema that spoke to African experiences.
TOP Film Village, then, is not being built in a vacuum. It is, in Olugbodi’s words, “a renaissance in motion”—an intentional return to the source.
The acronym TOP stands for Theatre, Opportunities, and Production, and each word encapsulates the village’s mission. It is located in the Tunji Olugbodi Productions Film Village and Resorts in Ara.
Set across several hectares of land, the facility will include purpose-built sound stages and production studios that rival global standards; training academies in screenwriting, directing, acting, music, and cinematography; affordable residential spaces for artists and creators; a talent incubation pipeline, connecting grassroots content to global distribution; environmentally sustainable infrastructure, including solar energy, waste-to-energy systems, and green transport; a model of backward integration to empower local producers, artisans, and farmers.
According to Olugbodi, this is more than just infrastructure—it is an ecosystem. “We’re not just building walls; we’re building worlds,” he noted.
TOP Film Village is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, ranging from set builders and costume designers to digital editors, caterers, and transportation providers.
But even more critically, the project offers creative self-determination. In a media world often dominated by foreign narratives, Olugbodi and his team see TOP as a platform where African filmmakers can tell authentic African stories—with African control, African money, and African vision.
“This is your village,” he declared to Nigeria’s youth. “Whether you’re a TikTok storyteller in Osogbo, a sound engineer in Ede, or a costume designer in Ila—you belong here.”
Governor Ademola Adeleke, whose administration has signalled a decisive shift toward creative and digital economy development, has been a key supporter. The state government’s buy-in is not symbolic—it is strategic.
“Culture is not just heritage; it is a viable economy,” said Olugbodi. “It is a driver of tourism, employment, innovation, and even diplomacy. With this initiative, Osun is again proving that it leads not only in tradition, but in transformation.”
This aligns with the federal government’s broader push for Nigeria’s creative industry, which has become the second-largest employer of youth in the country, to serve as a post-oil economic pillar.
Globally, African storytelling is experiencing a surge in popularity. From streaming platforms to film festivals, African stories are gaining traction, but the necessary infrastructure has lagged. That’s what makes TOP Film Village such a timely intervention.
Olugbodi’s project is not just building capacity; it’s building credibility and consistency—two things the global market demands.
He cited examples of how K-dramas have elevated South Korea’s global image and how Bollywood has turned India into a soft power force. “Africa can do the same,” he argued. “But we must invest in our narrative architecture.”
There was a particularly moving moment when Olugbodi invoked the ancestral past—not with nostalgia, but with purpose.
“With your wisdom,” he said, turning to the royal fathers present, “we will carry our heritage into the digital age with honour and pride, where folklore becomes a film, where chants become soundtracks. Where drums echo through Dolby Atmos.”
As the soil was turned and the drums beat in Ife, a quiet but powerful consensus emerged: something transformative had begun. In a country often divided by politics, this was a moment of unity around culture, creativity, and collective ambition.
In the words of Olugbodi, “Let the TOP Film Village rise—and with it, let Osun rise. Let Nigeria rise. Let Africa rise.”
And with that, a new village was born—not of mud huts, but of motion pictures, music, memory, and magic.
Other dignitaries at the event included the former President of the Lagos West Baptist Conference, Rev. Julius Adeniji; the immediate-past Senior Pastor of Triumphant Baptist Church in Akowonjo, Lagos, Rev. Samuel Oladejo; Elder Chris Alabi-Oyo; and others from within and outside Nigeria.
