Lately, women have been taking over Nollywood in various roles from producing to directing. In 2022, we had films such as Battle on Buka Street, Ijakumo, and Brotherhood that were either produced or directed by women. Here is a list of our favourite female directors in the industry, and some of their works. 

KEMI ADETIBA

Though Adetiba started out as a radio presenter and later ventured into directing music videos, we have enjoyed her films so far. She directed films such as The Wedding Party (2016), King of Boys (2018) and  King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021). While The Wedding Party stole hearts with its comedy and romance, her last two films were satirical works about the atrocities that come with power and politics. We love her because of how well her films were executed. Adetiba is currently working on another film, To Kill A Monkey , whose release date is yet to be announced. 

TOPE OSHIN

Oshin started out as an actor for years, ten went on to be an assistant director and assistant producer for The Apprentice Africa. We love her because of her directorial roles in popular TV series such as Tinsel (TV series) and MTV Shuga, and films like Up North and New Money. She makes this list because of her versatility in both TV and film, as this is no easy task. She is also a favourite because she has produced films such as The Wedding Party 2 which became the highest grossing film in 2018.

FUNKE AKINDELE

Funke Akindele makes this list because of her Battle On Buka Street (2022) which recently became the highest grossing Nollywood film. What makes this achievement even more impressive is that the film surpassed Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020) which she also directed. She started her acting career in the 90s and found her way to the top in the industry. She came to prominence by playing titular character in the comedy Jenifa. She has starred in other films such as Chief Daddy, Dwindle and Omo Ghetto.   However, she did not begin directing until 2019 with  Your Excellency. 

BONUS PICK: LOWLA DEE

Dolapo Adeleke, popularly known as LowlaDee, began directing films at 21. Her web series This is it had awesome performances by Nick Mutuma and Chy Nwakanma who play newlyweds Tee and Dede. Although it ran from 2016 to 2017, it is still a gem because it was well executed. It explores the vulnerability and journey that married couples experience. Her 2020 film Just In Time was also well directed and, for this, Lowla Dee makes the list.

The series featured  Nigerian and Kenyan cast, and instantly gained popularity gathering millions of views. It won Best Television Series at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2018. LowlaDee wrote, directed and edited 20 episodes of the series, which even makes her work more impressive. 

 Her other works include A Place Called Happy (2015), Entangled (2017), and  Plan B (2019). She currently runs her production company, LowlaDee Productions Co. (formerly known as Doreen Media). We can’t wait to see what she has for us in her future projects.