10 Films That Show Diversity in Nigeria

Shot in 2017 by Kunle Afolayan, Omugwo takes a close look at the relationship between two different cultures in Nigeria (Igbo and Yoruba).

Tempers flare and cultures clash when two mothers from culturally diverse backgrounds decided to “help take care” of their newly born grandchild. Throw in a frazzled dad and a new mother suffering from post-partum depression, and you have a potpourri of confusion which perfectly mirrors the Nigerian society.

Set in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, The Meeting spotlights Makinde, a Yoruba man, who was sent by his company to secure the signature of a Minister on a contract he had been given. Instead of the one-day trip he had envisaged, Makinde became the unwitting hostage of a bribe-taking secretary (who is an Igbo) and the Nigerian patronage system. The movie was produced in 2012 by Mildred Okwo.

A dark comedy/crime thriller set in Lagos, Kenneth Gyang explores the dark side of living in cities. He looked at the issues of drugs, crime, rape, extortion, police corruption, and several other themes through the lives of citizens from different economic/social and ethnic backgrounds.

It was in 1976 that Nigeria, particularly the south-east, was just recovering from the horror of the Nigerian Civil War when a young military officer met and fell in love with a young woman of southeastern extraction. While battling with a society that wouldn’t want them to be together because the young officer is from the south-south, he was accused of involvement in the failed coup that saw the assassination of Nigeria’s military leader, General Murtala Mohammed, and the responsibility of proving his innocence fell on the young lady. Produced by Izu Ojukwu.

This poor girl meets rich boy romcom is about Akin, a high-flying executive (and rich kid), and Mary, a fashion designer), when during a busy period at the airport they mistakenly picked each other’s phones. Both phones are important to the user. Through a bargain, Akin gets to spend time with Mary’s family in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Warri (and gets a taste of how the other side lives) while Mary is treated to the high life in the swankiest side of Abuja, where her sense of self is put to test.

Shot by Kenneth Gyang in Kano, Blood and Henna is a period movie that takes a critical look at the test carried out by Pfizer in 1996 Kano and its effect on the citizens. The movie showcased this through the experiences of Musa, who returned to Kano after his business was burnt to the ground, due to protests against the military government. After settling back in his hometown and getting married, his wife began to experience a series of miscarriages.

Nigerians love weddings, but one of the most difficult weddings to manage is those carried out across ethnic lines. So when Dunni (Yoruba) decided to marry Dozie (Igbo), the stage was set for interrogating cultural stereotypes, dealing with gatecrashers, one-upmanship, an attempted armed robbery, and the ever-present threat of the “side-chick.”

Nigeria was at the cusp of independence when a series of murders started happening in a small village in southwestern Nigeria, nearly triggering a war between the Igbo and Yoruba communities. A police inspector was sent in by the colonial authorities to investigate the murders, the only problem—the investigator is Hausa.

Austin Mba, a record label owner, alongside his partner, were about to hit the big time. The night before signing the deal he was kidnapped, alongside a socialite he met at a nightclub, and the ransom was the exact amount the record label was about to be paid. The kicker—the kidnappers were amateurs, ignorant, and crazy. A crime thriller directed by Walter Taylaur.

Desperate to save the life of a seven-year-old boy, a brilliant scientist, Dr. Michael Durant, allows a Nigerian nurse to convince him to try alternative medicine administered by another Nigerian, known as Dr. Bello. True to her promise, after administering the strange concoction, the boy goes into remission. The cure was so miraculous that the hospital decided to investigate its source. Dr. Durant and Bello were sent to prison for malpractice, unfortunately, Dr. Bello falls sick and the cure can only be found in The Secret Garden, a place located in the Calabar Sky Mountains.