Kunle Afolayan partners with Benin to transform African storytelling

In a groundbreaking move, Kunle Afolayan Production (KAP) Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Benin to establish a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionising the audio-visual and film production landscape in the region.

According to Afolayan, the partnership seeks to promote African cinema, empower youth, and develop globally competitive creative infrastructure.

The signing ceremony, which took place at the KAP Hub in Lagos, marks a significant milestone in KAP Group’s efforts to build strategic creative alliances across the continent.

He added that the partnership is focused on three key areas: co-production of films that showcase authentic African stories, structured youth training in filmmaking and creative production, and the development of a world-class Film City in Ouidah, Benin.

A high-level government delegation from the Republic of Benin, led by Special Adviser to the President, Sinatou Saka, formalised the partnership with KAP Group.

The delegation included Coline-Lee Toumson-Venite, Special Adviser to the President 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); and Meto Adoglo, Program Manager for Storytelling at Sèmè City.

The delegation was received by KAP Group’s leadership, including Group CEO Kunle Afolayan, Executive Director ‘Seun Soyinka, and Professor Tunji Azeez, Head of School, KAP Film & Television Academy.

Speaking on the development, Kunle Afolayan described the collaboration as “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.”

The Republic of Benin’s government has expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, with Special Adviser to the President, Sinatou Saka, highlighting the potential for capacity building and collaboration. “We are finally happy to be working in partnership with Kunle Afolayan, especially in the area of capacity building”, she said.

The delegation will tour KAP Group’s state-of-the-art production hub in Lagos and the KAP Film Village & Resort in Igbojaye-Komu, Oyo State, from February 19-22, as part of the official programme.

The partnership is seen as a significant step towards promoting Pan-African creative collaboration, advancing a unified continental voice, and showcasing authentic African stories on the global stage.