How Rogers Ofime is Shaping the Future of Nigerian Television

Ofime’s journey in the Nigerian film and television industry began as a director, but it was in production that he says he found fulfillment. His works have been crucial to the Nigerian film landscape, helping to reignite a once-dwindling appetite for television series among Nigerians.

In the early 2000s, network series like Superstory were the most popular shows in the country; no other television show managed to capture national attention until Tinsel,a gripping soap opera about two rival production houses and their battle for dominance, and The Johnsons, a hilarious family sitcom that spoke to different audiences, came onto the scene. Since its premiere in 2008, Tinsel has released nearly 4,000 episodes and is currently airing its 17th season. Meanwhile, The Johnsons, which premiered in 2012, ran for 13 years across 10 seasons, producing close to 2,000 episodes before concluding earlier this year.

There’s the latest one, Wura, which began airing on Showmax in 2023, and is helping to define the new age of Nigerian television series. Wura, which is the streamer’s first Nigerian telenovela, is an adaptation of the South African soap opera The River,and it stars Scarlet Gomez and Yomi Fash-Lanso. The series centers on Wura Amoo-Adeleke, a ruthless and ambitious gold mining CEO who will stop at nothing to maintain her wealth and power.

Ofime’s biggest differentiator is his willingness to explore unconventional filming methods. For his 2016 series Hush he decided, despite discouragement from other top industry executives, to shoot in 4K at a time when Nigerian television stations weren’t broadcasting in HD. His uniqueness also lies in his ardent involvement in the production process, he says. He is always on ground, overseeing every single aspect of the filming process and bringing a creative approach to production.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OkayAfrica: Why is telling African stories important to you?

Rogers Ofime: I'm an African, and if foreigners are coming into Africa to tell our [stories], then it means that there's something about African stories that we as Africans have not discovered yet. If they come and tell our stories and tell it the way it’s not supposed to be told, we start to get angry. And I ask ‘why are we angry?’ If you want to nip that in the bud, then you start to tell your stories. I don't know what other story I can tell. I grew up with Tales by Moonlight, [which, together with] a lot of others, put Nigerian entertainment where we’re supposed to be. [I’ll say] we have grown, and we are still growing and I just know that if we continue telling our story and we continue to improve technically, the world's attention will continue to be on us.

Were there any challenges while reinterpreting Wura for the Nigerian audience?

The initial challenge was to ensure that we didn’t fall short in terms of production value, creativity and characterization. It's got a very strong, female protagonist playing the role that the male actors in Nigeria normally would dominate because of course we live in a patriarchal world.

Did you have any reservations about how the character might be received by viewers?

I was surprised by the immense reception Wura received because we broke all of the records in terms of viewership (it is the most-watched drama series on Showmax Nigeria) and I must thank our extreme viewers for continuously watching the series. I wasn't afraid of how she would be received because I think that there was a balance in her character. She was a shrewd businesswoman who lived in a world where she had to dominate like the men had dominated. I did not expect viewers to see her any less.

What does it mean to have been at the forefront of the new wave of Nigerian television?

When we kicked off, people believed Tinsel was shot in South Africa because it was different from what we had seen on Nigerian television. I decided that from the moment Tinsel had made its mark, I was not going to drop the bar. We were able to show people that television from Nigeria can be at this level, so I ensure that every time I have to film, I tick all the boxes and I think that’s the one thing that has made me different so far.

What is your favorite part of the production process?

It’s pre-production. I spend nothing less than eight months to one year planning. If everything is in place and the execution starts, it’s already a wrap. In Wura for instance, we decided to shoot in Osun State and for two weeks we drove in and out of [the state] looking for locations. And it took us another eight more [weeks] of pre-production. The main building that you see there, we actually tore that down and rebuilt. We built the office complex from the ground up. We had to build them because of the way we envisioned the story. It took us a lot and it was quite expensive, but we had to ensure that we delivered.

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Ofime has said that for Wura’s final season, viewers should expect “more intense drama, unexpected twists, and deeper character development,” adding that, “The storyline is likely to take some bold new directions, exploring untold backstories while introducing new characters that will shake up the dynamics.”