It is no news that Yoruba Nollywood actors and filmmakers are investing in private film villages across South-west Nigeria.
These purpose-built facilities are transforming the industry by providing authentic, controlled environments for historical and epic productions while preserving Yoruba heritage. Here is a list of the film villages the Yoruba Nollywood community has built:
Kunle Afolayan’s KAP Film Village and Resort
Filmmaker and actor Kunle Afolayan, one of Nollywood’s most acclaimed directors, led the way with his KAP Film Village and Resort in Igbojaye, Oyo State. Nestled amid natural mountains, rocks, and valleys, the resort combines production facilities with accommodation, hiking trails, and recreational amenities. It has hosted major projects, including scenes from the Aníkúlápó series.
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Ibrahim Chatta’s Africhatta Film Village & Resort
Veteran actor Ibrahim Chatta, renowned for his dedication to Yoruba theatre and cultural storytelling, established the Africhatta Film Village & Resort on 74 acres in Oyo State near Oyo Town. The ₦1.4 billion complex features traditional thatched Yoruba-style houses, modern studios, workshops, animal stables, and luxury accommodations. It has served as a filming location for films such as Oko Iyabo, Ajoje, Eleran, and Toyin Abraham’s Iyaloide.
Bolanle Austen-Peters’ BAP Film Village
Award-winning director and producer Bolanle Austen-Peters (BAP Productions) unveiled her massive BAP Film Village in Epe, Lagos State. Spanning over 10,000 acres of rolling hills and forest with custom-built huts and infrastructure, it served as the primary location for the Netflix Yoruba epic House of Ga’a.
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Dele Odule’s Ibudo Asa (Budo Asa) Film Village
Veteran actor Dele Odule recently joined this elite group with the unveiling of Ibudo Asa Film Village, also called Budo Asa in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State. This cultural complex recreates pre-colonial Yoruba life with mud-walled houses, thatched roofs, bronze sculptures, rehearsal spaces, and hospitality facilities.
As Prince Jide Kosoko and others have praised, these villages are redefining the arts and culture sector. They signal a new era where Nigerian filmmakers aren’t just telling stories, they’re building the institutions to tell them authentically, on their own terms.
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