KUNLE AFOLAYAN PRODUCTION, REPUBLIC OF BENIN FORGE HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP

 
– Sign MoU in Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria – In a landmark move set to redefine the future of African storytellingand cross-border creative collaboration, the KAP Group today signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Lagos with the Republic of Benin, following
a high-level invitation from the Beninese Presidency to establish a strategic partnershipfocused on transforming the audio-visual and film production landscape in the region.
The signing which took place at the KAP Hub, Kunle Afolayan’s one-stop creativecentre and head office of the KAP Group, marks another major Pan-Africancollaboration by the Group, reinforcing its growing role in building strategic creativealliances across the continent aimed at strengthening African cinema, empoweringyouth, and developing globally competitive creative infrastructure.
This historic partnership reflects a shared vision to harness the power of cinema, youthdevelopment, and creative enterprise as drivers of cultural diplomacy, economic
growth, and Africa’s global creative influence.
As part of the engagement process, acclaimed filmmaker, industry trailblazer andCEO of the KAP Group, Kunle Afolayan and ‘Seun Soyinka, an Executive Director of
the KAP Group, last month led a high-powered management delegation of the
Group to the Republic of Benin, where extensive consultations were held with senior
government officials and key stakeholders in the country’s audio-visual and
cinematography sectors. Discussions focused on building sustainable frameworks to
elevate local content creation, strengthen technical capacity, and position the
Republic of Benin as an emerging hub for film and creative excellence in Africa.
Following the directive of the Beninese President, a high-level government delegation
formalized this partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
and signalled the official commencement of this transformative collaboration. Members
of the visiting delegation include Sinatou Saka, Special Adviser to the President of the
Republic for Media and Audiovisual Affairs; Coline-Lee Toumson-Venite, Special Adviser
to the President of the Republic for Arts and Culture; Bassirou Ndiaye, CEO 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, Program Manager for Storytelling at Sèmè City. The host team was led by the
Group CEO, the Executive Director and Professor Tunji Azeez, Head of School, KAP Film &
Television Academy.
press release
The new partnership focusses on three pillars of Co-production of films that authentically
tell African stories and expand the global reach of the continent’s cinema; Structured
youth training across all areas of filmmaking and creative production and finally the
development, equipping and operation of a world-class Film City in Ouidah, Benin. These
three pillars will benefit immensely from the expertise of some existing subsidiaries within
the KAP Group such as KAP Motion Pictures, KAP Film & Television Academy and KAP Film
Village & Resort, respectively.
As part of the official programme taking place from February 19-22, the delegation
will tour KAP Group’s state-of-the-art production hub in Lagos, as well as the KAP Film
Village & Resort in Igbojaye-Komu, Oyo State, a pioneering creative ecosystem widely
regarded as a model for integrated film production, training, and cultural tourism in
Africa.
This partnership further reinforces KAP Group’s pioneering role in reshaping the
narrative of African cinema through innovation, talent development, and
infrastructure building. At the forefront of this movement, Kunle Afolayan continues to
champion Pan-African creative collaboration, advancing a unified continental voice
and showcasing authentic African stories on the global stage with excellence and
cultural pride.
Speaking on the development, Kunle Afolayan described the collaboration as “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.” Also commenting, the Special
Adviser to the President of the Republic for Media and Audio-Visual Affairs, Sinatou
Saka, expressed excitement that the proposed collaboration has now been
formalised. “We are finally happy to be working in partnership with Kunle Afolayan,
especially in the area of capacity building” she said.
Both parties describe the agreement as the beginning of a long-term strategic
alliance committed to raising the bar for film production, creative education, and
cultural expression across Africa.
About KAP GroupKAP Group is a leading African creative and production company dedicated to film, television, training,hospitalityand cultural development. Through creative innovation, infrastructure, and talent development, the Group continues
to champion authentic African culture, storytelling and build globally competitive creative ecosystems.
 
#africancinema #panafricanism#nollywood #beninrepublic #nigeria