Amazon Prime premiers first African movie in Lagos

The first African original title from Amazon's Prime Video, which was shot in Nigeria, had its Lagos premiere on Thursday before making its streaming platform debut on Friday.

According to a statement from Prime, the crime drama Gangs of Lagos is situated in the heart of Nigeria's commercial district and follows a gang of childhood friends as they struggle to get by in a busy, packed neighbourhood.

In order to increase its subscriber base in the continent, which boasts the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, Amazon's streaming division has been working hard. More movies are made in Nigeria's film industry than in Hollywood, where Amazon competes with rivals including Netflix Inc., Disney+, Showmax, and regional video-on-demand services.

Later this month, Gangs of Lagos screenings will take place in London and New York. Nigerian director Jade Osiberu, whose Greoh Studios has an exclusive contract with Prime, directed and produced it.

Amazon Prime launched a localized version of their service in Nigeria in 2021 after starting operations in Africa in 2016. According to a company representative, it now has roughly 143 licensed purchases, including non-exclusive content.

Inkblot and Anthill Studios, two local producers, received licenses from it last year. The first young adult show from Nigeria on Netflix, Far From Home, was created by Inkblot.

In 2024, Amazon intends to release Last One Laughing, an unscripted comedy series hosted by Trevor Noah, as its first South African original. Later this year, a Nigerian version of the program is anticipated.

According to Ned Mitchell, head of Prime's Africa and Middle East Originals, the Nigerian studio's growth depends on indigenous talent, following their approach in at least twenty other nations.

“It’s more comfortable for creators to be able to speak with someone who understands their story and their lived experience and who can champion their point of view,” Mitchell said in an interview. “There are a number of originals in the pipeline.”

The success of the movie will be the most recent barometer of how well-liked Nollywood, the second-largest film business in the world, is outside. According to UNESCO, Nigeria produced 2,500 films in 2021, significantly more than Hollywood did. The quality of the sector hasn't always kept up with its output, though.

Amazon declined to disclose specific financial details for Gangs of Lagos, but Mitchell stated that the company's goal is to bring Nollywood production up to par with international standards.

“What we’re doing is spending a significant amount of time and resources on development and prep and all these things that typically creators aren’t able to do because of budgets and timelines that they face,” he added. “We focus on quality over quantity.”

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