Entertainment
Meet the writers behind some of Nollywood’s Biggest Cinema releases of 2024

Published

Meet the writers behind – When we gush about…
When we gush about our favourite Nollywood blockbusters, we tend to shower all the love on the actors who bring the drama or the directors who yell, “Action!”
But what about the masterminds behind the scenes; the writers who sit hunched over their laptops, churning out the twists and turns that leave us clutching our popcorn in shock?
Yes, writers are the true wizards of the screen, conjuring up the love triangles, the slap-worthy betrayals, and the “Jesus-is-Lord!” plot twists that keep us glued to our seats. They’re the ones making sure your favourite Nollywood stars have lines so iconic, that you’re still quoting them in traffic weeks later.
In 2024, Nollywood gave us a buffet of cinematic hits—from thrillers that had us biting our nails to rom-coms that made us believe in love (again). But behind every box office smash is a writer, grinding away to give us those unforgettable stories.
READ ALSO: Catch up on these Nollywood films streaming on Netflix today!
So, grab a drink, because we’re about to meet the literary legends behind Nollywood’s biggest cinema releases of the year.
Tunde Babalola – Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
A seasoned screenwriter in Nigerian cinema and British television whose notable Nollywood works include Last Flight to Abuja, Critical Assignment, October 1, Citation, and the TV soap opera, Tinsel. He was a writer on the UK series The Bill and In Exile. Initially titled Dust, Babalola wrote the script for the critically acclaimed blockbuster 1 October in 2014. The film was directed by Kunle Afolayan. In 2015, he joined as the writer and producer of the comedy TV production Rib Busters: Comedy Show. In 2015, Babalola won the awards for Best Comedy Writer for the film The Meeting and Best Drama Writer for the film October 1 at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. In 2024 he wrote the script for the biggest biopic in West Africa, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and another epic Netflix project House of Ga’a. Directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti won Best Screenplay and Best Film at the African Film Festival (AFRIFF) in 2023.
Jack’enneth Opukeme – Farmer’s Bride
Opukeme has several high-performing works to his credit. Some of them include Adire, Battle on Buka Street and most recently Farmer’s Bride which he took his career further by co-directing with Adebayo Tijani. With his background in Theater and Media at the University of Calabar, Opukeme found his interest in directing and in his final year, he realized he had a thing for directing so he directed Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a play in school. He came to Lagos as an intern for FilmOne, the leading film distributor in Nigeria and his career took off from there.

Don’t miss out on any real-time information. Join our WhatsApp group to stay updated.
Anthony Kehinde Joseph – Queen Lateefah
This guy is behind the screenplay of popular works including Bling Lagosians, Afamefuna: An Nwa-boi Story, Merry Men, Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper, Knocking on Heaven’s Door, and Champagne. With Queen Lateefah, Joseph through the life of an elite-wanna-be weaves a story that explores deception, lies and the cost of living a fake life in modern-day Lagos.
Dare Olaitan and Stephen Okonkwo – Ajosepo
Olaitan is popular for the film Ojukokoro, a 2016 film which received the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). He also wrote Dwindle, Ile Owo, Obara’M and Ègún. Okonkwo has screenplay credit for several notable works like Soole, Obara’m, Honey Money, and an upcoming project The Party. In 2018, Olaitan wrote and directed Knockout Blessing, a movie which explores the story of an ambitious female boxer who finds herself entangled in the world of political corruption. The film was nominated for Best Nigerian Film and Best Visual Effects at the 2019 Africa Movie Academy Awards. Ajosepo which he shares screenplay credit with Okonkwo is a 2024 comedy-drama film that explores the impact of family dynamics and cultural nuances on a young couple preparing for marriage. The film held the top seat at the Nigerian box office 4 weeks after its release.
Cheta Chukwu – The Uprising Wives on Strike 3
Cheta Chukwu is a writer-director with several works to his credit including Strawberry Chinny (starring Genoveva Umeh and Chimezie Imo) which made the official selection list for the Essence Festival this year. He wrote and directed Payday, a comedy-drama, which had its theatrical release in Nigeria and 9 Francophone countries but was later acquired by Netflix. His newest screenplay, The Uprising: Wives On Strike 3 and achieved impressive feats since its release on October 18, 2024. A few months ago, he got accepted into the Torino Film Lab’s (TFL) Extended Writer-Director Program in the Netherlands, for his new project, Love is a Deeper Shade of Red, further cementing his place in the global film industry.
Related
Turo247News is on WhatsApp!
CLICK HERE TO JOINShare News with us via Email: turo247newz.com@gmail.com
Join Our Social Media Channels- WhatsApp: Turo247 News Room
- Facebook: Turo247newz
- Twitter: @turo247newz
- Instagram: @turo247newz
- Tiktok: Turo247newz
You may like
âResiduals are a right, not a luxuryâ â Actress, Beverly Osu backs Omotola Jalade as she sparks new debate about Nollywoodâs broken system
Israel releases Palestinian Oscar winner after West Bank detention
Meet these talented Nollywood Child actors
Wizkid releases his highly anticipated 6th LP titled 'Morayo'
'Queen Lateefah' grosses enters Nollywood’s top box office rankings
[WATCH]: ‘Saka gave me this’ – Arsenal star surprises his 2-year-old biggest fan
Entertainment
Burna Boy apologises for dissociating himself from Afrobeats

Published
2 hours agoon
July 15, 2025By
Julie
In a recent interview on The Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show with Eddie Kadi, the Grammy winner shared that with the knowledge he now possesses, he wouldn’t have made those disparaging comments on Afrobeats.
Readers will recall his infamous statement that Afrobeats lacked substance, which he made in a 2023 Interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music.
Burna Boy shared that the statement was born out of his long-standing decision to identify his music as Afro-fusion as opposed to the umbrella term Afrobeats, which is used to define Nigerian pop music and which he believes doesn’t adequately capture his music.
“I described it by music as Afro fusion because it was as if there was almost no place for it at home, and I had to create my own place for it”.
Retracting the statement, the global music star stated that at the time of making the statement, he didn’t know that Afrobeats was an umbrella term used in advancing Nigerian music as a collective rather than just being a music genre.
“I didn’t understand why everyone wanted my music to be inside one box”.
He said understanding the essence of Afrobeats as a movement has led him to appreciate the negative reactions to his comments.
“I didn’t understand that we needed an umbrella term for what we were doing to actually get somewhere,” he said on his realisation of the purpose of Afrobeats as a movement in advancing Nigerian music.
“If I understood this, I would have gone about it differently because why would I want to destroy what I am building?” he clarified.

Don’t miss out on any real-time information. Join our WhatsApp group to stay updated.
“I didn’t realize we needed Afrobeats tag as an umbrella to go to anywhere. I totally get it now and I apologize for that confusion”
– Burna Boy apologizes for saying Afrobeats lacks substance pic.twitter.com/4OGSFCR0KN
— OLAMIDE 🌸💖 (@Olamide0fficial) July 15, 2025
“I apologise for the confusion,” Burna Boy said on the division his statement caused.
Burna Boy’s explanation offers clarity on the reason behind his infamous statement, and his apology is an admirable move to take accountability.
The history-making star recently released his 8th album ‘No Sign of Weakness’, which features notable global stars including Mick Jagger, Travis Scott, and Stromae.
The Port Harcourt-born star is set to go on a tour of North America and Europe, where he will be headlining iconic venues.
Burna Boy’s full interview on The Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show with Eddie Kadi is available on streaming platforms.
Related
Turo247News is on WhatsApp!
CLICK HERE TO JOINShare News with us via Email: turo247newz.com@gmail.com
Join Our Social Media Channels- WhatsApp: Turo247 News Room
- Facebook: Turo247newz
- Twitter: @turo247newz
- Instagram: @turo247newz
- Tiktok: Turo247newz
Entertainment
‘I almost got initiated to witchcraft’, actress Juliana Olayode

Published
5 hours agoon
July 15, 2025By
Julie
Nollywood actress Juliana Olayode, popularly known as Toyo Baby for her role in Jenifa’s Diary, has alerted the public to the prevalence of witchcraft as she told the story of how she almost got initiated.
In a video she shared on her Instagram page alongside a long caption, she warned that some people may have already been initiated into witchcraft without even knowing.
The actress who is an outspoken Christian advocate stated that witchcraft is now “everywhere around us”, and not even “hiding anymore”
READ ALSO: Sex, other sexual activities only for married people – Actress Juliana Olayode
On how she was almost initiated, she recounted how she was casually scrolling through her phone when she stumbled on an ad asking, “Have you ever broken a bone before?”
She said she clicked the link out of sheer curiosity and almost immediately, a strong, unsettling feeling overwhelmed her which made her snap out of it and she closed the site, wondering why she clicked the link in the first instance.
Writing in the caption of the video, Olayode warned the public to be watchful of the gatherings, churches, movies, music and novels they expose themselves to, noting that it is important for them to guard their hearts.
She wrote, “Witchcraft is everywhere these days, they’re not hiding anymore, they’re not waiting for midnight to fly, as most of us think. Witchcr@ft is everywhere around us.
RELATED: Actress Olayode Juliana fumes over ‘Is your husband single?’ comments

Don’t miss out on any real-time information. Join our WhatsApp group to stay updated.
“They operate every hour of the day, it looks very attractive, it looks like you’re on the right path, it looks like you’re trying to satisfy your curiosity, it looks “good” but be careful because not all that looks good is good.
“Don’t fall for the lie that you’ve been here before, nobody has. Also, just because they tell you something you’re experiencing or have gone through, doesn’t mean it’s through the right spirit. Remember Acts 16:16-18?
“Be careful what you expose yourself to, be careful who you expose yourself to, be care the “spiritual” gathering you attend, be careful what church you go to, be very careful and very discerning.
“Like I said, you don’t have to click the link to be initiated, a lot of people are already initiated into witchcr@ft and they don’t even know. It probably happened through the movie they watched, the music they listened to, a novel they read, a witch store they followed their friends to in the name of “collecting arts or pieces from a witchcraft themed movie they saw”.
READ ALSO: Juliana Olayode slams Olympics over blasphemous drag queen opening ceremony
“Now you’re having nightmares, you notice a strange presence in your room, you’re depressed, you feel like something is following you, you hear strange voices or strange movements in your house, you have anxiety or you live in so much fear.
“Some people will even deceive into burning incense to remove dark energy etc. It’s all a trap!!!
“Some of these things happen because you unconsciously gave these spirits access to your life. You gotta guard your gates, the gates to your soul. You gotta be very careful, very prayerful and highly discerning.
The actress warned that “the enemy is not sleeping”, while also urging her followers to become “born-again Christians”
READ ALSO: ‘My husband can never kiss me’: Veteran Yoruba actress discloses
Related
Turo247News is on WhatsApp!
CLICK HERE TO JOINShare News with us via Email: turo247newz.com@gmail.com
Join Our Social Media Channels- WhatsApp: Turo247 News Room
- Facebook: Turo247newz
- Twitter: @turo247newz
- Instagram: @turo247newz
- Tiktok: Turo247newz
Entertainment
Purp Breaks the Streak, Becomes the Third Female to Win Nigerian Idol Season 10 After 6 Years

Published
8 hours agoon
July 15, 2025By
Julie
After 12 thrilling weeks filled with show-stopping performances, heartfelt moments, and fierce vocal battles, Nigerian Idol Season 10 has officially come to an end, and 25-year-old Anu Agosa, better known as Purp, has emerged as the winner.
In a live finale aired on Sunday, Purp faced off against fellow finalist Raymu in a showdown that tested their vocal prowess, stage presence, and audience connection. In the end, it was Purp who won over the nation and secured the highest number of votes to become Nigerian Idol 2025.
A Night of Nostalgia and Celebration
Hosted by media personality IK Osakioduwa, the Nigerian Idol Season 10 finale was a night to remember, bursting with emotion, star power, and unforgettable performances that celebrated a decade of musical excellence. As the show marked its milestone 10th season, the atmosphere was rich with nostalgia and heartfelt moments.
The evening kicked off with eliminated contestants returning to the stage for a high-energy rendition of “Good Samaritan” by Ayra Starr, reminding fans of the season’s most dynamic voices. Past winners and standout contestants from previous seasons also made special appearances, coming together for a memorable performance of “Water” by Tyla.
In a surprising and delightful twist, IK showed off his vocal chops in a vibrant rendition of “Jerusalema” by Master KG, joining forces with Ric Hassani, Iyanya, and the two finalists for a standout performance.
Season 9 winner Chima, fan favourite Precious Mac from season 8, and Praise, winner of this season’s Bigi Idol, delivered solo sets that showcased the long-lasting influence of the Nigerian Idol stage in launching real talent.
Adding a sweet touch to the celebration, Ric Hassani handed out cupcakes to the live audience in honour of the 10-season milestone. Omawumi took the spotlight soon after with a powerful live performance of her latest single “In Love”, bringing extra star power to an already electrifying night.
Then came the final performances by the Top 2 contestants. Raymu entertained the audience with a moving cover of “Titanium” by David Guetta ft. Sia, while Purp channelled pure soul and strength in her rendition of “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. Both finalists delivered spine-tingling performances.
Life-Changing Prize Package
As the new Nigerian Idol, Purp will walk away with a life-changing prize package, including a brand new SUV, a N30 million cash prize, a DStv Explora with a one-year premium subscription, and a chance to become Nigeria’s next big music star with a recording deal.

Don’t miss out on any real-time information. Join our WhatsApp group to stay updated.
A Historic Win
Purp‘s victory is particularly significant as she becomes the third female winner in the show’s history, breaking a six-year streak since the last female champion. Her triumph represents not just personal achievement but a milestone for female representation in the competition
From auditions to live shows, Nigerian Idol Season 10 has been a whirlwind of talent, passion, and unforgettable stories. And now, the journey begins for one rising star as she prepares to take the Nigerian music industry by storm.
Fans can relive the finale and past performances on GOtv & DStv Stream and Showmax. As a bonus, subscribers who reconnect or upgrade before July 31 enjoy an automatic bouquet upgrade at no extra cost via the ongoing GOtv “We Got You” campaign.
#FeaturedPost
Related
Turo247News is on WhatsApp!
CLICK HERE TO JOINShare News with us via Email: turo247newz.com@gmail.com
Join Our Social Media Channels- WhatsApp: Turo247 News Room
- Facebook: Turo247newz
- Twitter: @turo247newz
- Instagram: @turo247newz
- Tiktok: Turo247newz
- News8 months ago
PH refinery yet to commence bulk sales – NNPCL debunks petrol price reduction
- turo247xpress logistics8 months ago
Same Day Delivery Services in Lagos: Fast, Reliable Shipping with Turo247xpress Logistics
- turo247xpress logistics8 months ago
Affordable Courier Services Near Me: Quick, Reliable & Budget-Friendly Deliveries
- turo247xpress logistics8 months ago
The Importance of Express Delivery Services for Businesses
- turo247xpress logistics8 months ago
Need Urgent Delivery in Lagos? Turo247xpress Logistics Has You Covered!
- Politics8 months ago
Rivers APC Leadership: Okocha Appointed as Substantive Chairman
- Movies8 months ago
“Mz Vick Reveals Why ‘A Ghetto Love Story’ Was Created: Affordability Key to Its Production”
- Lifestyle8 months ago
How to Keep Your Home Dust-Free During Harmattan