Four Companies. One Book. December 2026. EbonyLife’s Return to Cinema Is Nollywood’s Biggest Literary Adaptation
EbonyLife returns to cinema after five years with the adaptation of Lola Shoneyin's landmark novel, co-produced with Genesis, Nile, and Silverbird in a partnership unprecedented for Nollywood. Daniel Oriahi directs. The cast is the largest assembled for a single Nigerian production in this era. December 2026.
Film · Industry
Mo Abudu has not released a theatrical film in five years. EbonyLife spent those years building its streaming presence while the theatrical market had the record-breaking years nobody predicted. The return she has chosen is not a crowd-pleasing franchise sequel. It is the feature film adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives — published in 2010, a secondary school text, a stage production, and a novel that a specific kind of educated Nigerian woman will cite when asked which book made her most uncomfortable in the best possible way.
The production arrangement is unprecedented for Nollywood. EbonyLife Group is co-producing with Genesis Group, Nile Media Entertainment Group, and Silverbird Group — bringing together, in a single partnership, four of the most significant names in Nigerian film exhibition, distribution, and production. Mo Abudu has said simply: “The strong partnerships with Genesis, Nile, and Silverbird, alongside our outstanding ensemble cast, reflect the scale of this project.”
Daniel Oriahi directs. His work on The Weekend demonstrated a precise command of psychological tension and ensemble dynamics that makes him the right person to manage a story whose central drama is almost entirely contained within a single household and depends on what is not said rather than what is. Adze Ugah writes the screenplay, with Shoneyin herself attached as producer — a signal that the adaptation is not being made at a distance from its source material.
The cast is the largest assembled for a single Nollywood production in recent memory. Odunlade Adekola leads as Baba Segi. The wives are played by Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Ademoye, and Omowunmi Dada. The supporting ensemble — Shaffy Bello, Bisola Aiyeola, Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Bolaji Ogunmola, Tina Mba, Femi Branch, Faithia Balogun Williams, Damilola Adegbite, Nancy Isime, Uzor Arukwe — is as comprehensive a gathering of working Nollywood talent as has appeared in a single project in this era.
The December 2026 release places it in direct competition with King of Boys: The Beginning of the End, also confirmed for Christmas. A window that contains both titles is either the most commercially competitive December Nollywood has had, or the most creatively ambitious. Probably both.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives — December 2026. Dir. Daniel Oriahi · Screenplay Adze Ugah · Prod. EbonyLife Films, Genesis Group, Nile Media Entertainment, Silverbird Group.
