Following the recently teased How To Be A Woman (here), Nigerian filmmaker and director Odafe Umufo has discussed the inspiration behind the upcoming documentary.
In an interview with The Nollywood Reporter, Umufo, who wrote and directed the project, explained that the idea began with a question he kept returning to: what it means to be a woman within Nigeria’s cultural and social context.
The filmmaker said the project was conceived during a period of heightened public conversation around women’s safety in Nigeria.
“Narratives were clashing, emotions were high, and as often happens, the focus began to shift,” Umufo said. “I found myself less interested in the noise and more interested in the voices beneath it.”
According to him, the aim of How To Be A Woman (here) is not to define womanhood from the outside but to create space for women to speak about their lived experiences.
“Ultimately, How To Be A Woman is an invitation to listen, to remember, and to recognise the complexity of becoming,” he said.
While the film is being introduced during Women’s Month in March, Umufo said the timing is intended to raise a broader question about how womanhood is understood within contemporary Nigerian society.
“The word ‘here’ in the title is intentional. It speaks to geography, culture, and lived experience,” he said, adding that the film reflects everyday realities beyond symbolic celebrations.
The documentary unfolds through six conversations with five women;Omowola Alaba, Tife Adekunle, Ayobola Rhodiat, Tiamiyu Ololade, and Aisha Alade,whose reflections form a portrait of womanhood shaped by identity, expectations, autonomy, and vulnerability.
How To Be A Woman (here) is a debut project under VibeBox Creative Collective in partnership with Jamit Studios.
According to Umufo,the team plans to premiere a trailer in alignment with International Women’s Day before pursuing a festival run locally and internationally, particularly on documentary-focused platforms. After the festival circuit, the team intends to explore curated screenings and digital distribution to make the film accessible to Nigerian audiences.