Netflix, Inc. is an American media services provider and production company headquartered in Los Gatos, California, founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California.
The streaming service is currently available in nearly 200 countries (including 54 countries in Africa), the subscription-based streaming service first launched in the U.S. as the world’s first online DVD rental store, with only 30 employees and 925 titles available, it has now grown into a giant with 167 million subscribers globally and annual revenue of USD 15.8 Bn.
Recently, Netflix opened a Nigerian Twitter account to announce its presence in Nigeria with a picture featuring some of the A-Listers in the Nigerian film industry. The Netflix Naija account already has well over 12,000 followers.
Netflix launching in Nigeria would boost the film industry as the platform would invest in more local content. Already, Netflix has added more Nigerian content over time to drive more Nigerian subscribers and Nollywood fans to its platform. Nigerian movies on the Netflix platform increased from 23 in October 2019 to 47 in February 2020.
Netflix also wants to tell local stories with a global appeal, hence the collaboration with Nigerian movie stars and top filmmakers including Ramsey Noah, Omoni Oboli, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), Adesua Etomi, Kunle Afolayan, and others.
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Netflix Naija is not surprising given the success of the current Nigerian movies on the platform. Nollywood clearly has a huge fan base all over the world. such movies are Lionheart, King of Boys, Merry Men, October 1, Wedding Party, Mokalik, Bling Lagosians, Chief Daddy, etc.
Netflix is about to add two unnamed original Nigerian series currently in the works. The news of the unnamed original series from Nigeria follows from development in December 2018 in which Netflix announced plans to commission original series from Africa.
The Series Director, Akin Omotoso (The Ghost and The House of Truth’) took the opportunity to introduce the cast and crew for the yet to be named series.
Speaking on the upcoming series, Omotoso disclosed that it is based on a moment from his childhood.
Joining the Netflix Original series cast and crew are co-directors C.J. Obasi, Daniel Oriahi. Kemi Lala-Akindoju will be co-producing while Kate Henshaw, Joke Silva, Bimbo Akintola, Richard Mofe Damijo are among the production’s ensemble cast.
More power to the Nigerian film industry. We are super proud.