Between Kemi Afolabi’s sobering warning about life and relationships, a Nigerian story heading to the Oscars, a new Housewives spin-off uniting African cities, the 2025 AMAA nominations, and Netflix’s next Bridgerton bombshell, the industry has been abuzz with emotion and momentum.
Here’s everything that made headlines, and what it all says about where we are right now.
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Kemi Afolabi’s Message After Maryam Sanda’s Pardon
This week, Nollywood actress Kemi Afolabi posted a short but powerful message on her Instagram story:
“Do not allow anyone to take your life; guard it with all your being. Be it in marriage, friendship, courtship or any kind of relationship.”
Her post came just days after President Bola Tinubu granted a presidential pardon to Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
The decision sparked outrage across social media, reopening old wounds about domestic violence, the justice system, and selective mercy.
The Sanda case mirrors an earlier one, Yewande Oyediran (Fatoki), the Ibadan lawyer who fatally stabbed her husband and was pardoned in 2019 by then-governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Together, both clemencies highlight a troubling question:
When women kill their partners, what drives the act, and how do justice and mercy coexist in a society still learning how to treat domestic violence as a systemic issue rather than private shame?
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A Nigerian Story Heads to the Oscars
While the country debated morality and justice, a historic cinematic milestone emerged.
Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow has been selected by the United Kingdom as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Oscars.
It’s an extraordinary moment: a Nigerian story, shot mostly in Lagos, told by Nigerian voices, being carried to the Oscars via the UK, a reminder of how art transcends borders even when local institutions falter.
Set in 1993 during the chaos following the annulled June 12 elections, the film follows two brothers and their estranged father as they navigate a day of personal and political upheaval.
Featuring Sope Dirisu and the young talents Godwin Chimerie Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, the film blends intimate storytelling with national history.
After its Cannes premiere, where it won a Caméra d’Or Special Mention, critics from The Guardian, Time Out, and IndieWire hailed it for its haunting cinematography by Jermaine Edwards and its meditative tone on fatherhood, memory, and loss.
More importantly, it represents a blueprint for Nigerian filmmaking, deeply local, technically world-class, and globally resonant.
If it makes the Oscar shortlist, My Father’s Shadow could open new international doors for Nigerian cinema’s next generation.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
If you thought African reality TV had peaked, think again. Showmax just announced The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa, an ambitious cross-franchise special bringing together stars from Lagos, Abuja, Johannesburg, Durban, and Nairobi.
Set in Brazil, this new iteration follows the global Ultimate Girls Trip format that originated in the U.S., placing iconic housewives from different cities in a luxury villa and letting drama, glamour, and sisterhood unfold.
The cast includes Mariam Timmer (RHOLagos), Princess Jecoco (RHOAbuja), Annie Mthembu, Angel Ndlela, and Jojo Robinson (RHODurban), Madam Evodia Mogase and Christall Kay (RHOJohannesburg), Dr Catherine Masitsa and Zena Nyambu (RHONairobi)
Produced by GOAT Productions in partnership with NBCUniversal Formats, the show promises a high-production showcase of continental womanhood, part escapist luxury, part mirror of ambition, competition, and identity.
The Housewives franchise, launched in 2006 with Orange County, has long reflected social performance, how women wield visibility, wealth, and power. In its African adaptations, it’s evolved beyond spectacle into a study of African femininity, class mobility, and cultural aspiration.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa premieres November 28, 2025, exclusively on Showmax.
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Africa Movie Academy Awards 2025
The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), now in its 21st year, released its full list of nominees this week.
Leading the pack is Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions from Burkina Faso, with 10 nominations including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
The film’s success, after also winning at FESPACO, signals a continental renaissance where African stories are thriving across languages and borders.
Nigeria’s Lisabi: The Uprising, 3 Cold Dishes, and The Serpent Gift earned nods across performance and technical categories, while other countries, Uganda, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Algeria, round out a robust, multilingual slate.
