Culture

Ibrahim Chatta’s film village in Oyo draws high-profile visitors

Published

1 year ago

March 13, 2025

Veteran actors Tola Adeniyi and Yemi Farounbi visit Ibrahim Chatta’s Film Village in Oyo, marveling at the expansive project and its future potential

Ibrahim Chatta’s Film Village in Oyo is quickly becoming a cultural hub, drawing visitors and tourists from both within Nigeria and abroad.

The expansive 74.5-acre site has recently hosted notable figures, including veteran stage actor and media guru High Chief Tola Adeniyi, and film producer and former Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farounbi.

The two distinguished guests were warmly received by the village’s proprietor, actor Ibrahim Chatta, and other colleagues who were on set for the upcoming film by Odunlade Adekola.

During their visit, Chief Adeniyi, who chairs the “Tola Adeniyi Foundation for Theatre and the Arts,” and Dr. Farounbi were given a tour of the facility, which boasts cutting-edge equipment and modern amenities designed for film productions.

The Film Village, which features horses, donkeys, a costume production centre, guest chalets, restaurants, and several buildings adorned with traditional African motifs, has already impressed many with its scale.

Guests were particularly amazed by the scope of the ongoing work and the ambitious plans for future phases of the project.

Chatta shared with his visitors that future additions to the Village include a man-made lake, an Olympic-size golf course, and viewing centres with dining options.

The village has already attracted interest from international locations, including several countries in Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean, eager to use the space for film production. The local and international tourism potential is also growing steadily.

The visitors were accompanied by a host of actors, including Fokoko, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Odunlade Adekola, Madam Saje, Abiola, Muka Ray Eyiwumi, and several others who were on set at the time. The group concluded the visit with a prayer before Chief Adeniyi and Dr. Farounbi left the premises.

Ibrahim Chatta’s Film Village is not just a production space but a vision of what the future of the Nigerian film industry could look like—blending state-of-the-art facilities with rich cultural heritage.

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Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 weeks ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”