Kayode Kasum has been directing for nearly a decade. He started with Dognapped, Nigeria’s first live-action animated feature, and has since made everything from romantic dramas to comedies to a film shot entirely on a moving bus. His latest, Love and New Notes, was the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2026. Sitting down with The Nollywood Reporter, Kasum spoke openly about how his storytelling has changed, his creative bond with Timini Egbuson, and why he no longer tries to impress the West.
Looking back from Oga Bolaji to Love and New Notes, Kasum says his evolution is unmistakable. “It has evolved because I have no more babies. I am an adult man.” He laughs, then grows serious. “If you look at it, from Oga Bolaji to now, it is probably like 10 years. So the filmmaker has changed.”
What shifted most was his perspective. “I look at life from different perspectives now. I am not judging my characters anymore.” Early in his career, he admits, he wanted to make films that would get reactions from Western audiences. “You want to go to film festivals. You want to travel the world.”
That ambition has since changed direction. “Now I am making honest films. I like making films for the Nigerian audience. I don’t think that is a bad thing. That is where I live. That is who I am.”
The technical side has improved, too. “Attention to detail has gotten better. The storytelling has evolved. Making decisions now comes quickly. I know when someone is wasting time. I am not.”
Many of Kasum’s films, including This Lady Called Life and Something Like Gold, Afamefuna, explore love and personal struggle. He says Something Like Gold was more of another person’s vision, but these stories always find him. “I like to put a bit of myself in my films.” He reflects on human nature. “Everybody does have something that they are going through. Some experiences that shaped them. Childhood. How did they grow up? Things they experience daily.”
That empathy, he believes, is why his films resonate. “My films are a bit empathetic to personal struggles and also finding love and finding one who understands that struggle. Everybody wants to be seen, don’t they? I like making films that show people they can be seen. That they are not the only ones going through this phase.”
Love and New Notes weaves intimate romance with larger social change. Kasum does not force a balance between the two. He follows the story. “I ask myself, what does this story need? I take my technical and dramatic approach from there.” The societal context, he explains, emerges naturally when characters are drawn truthfully. “If I get the personal struggle right, the bigger picture takes care of itself.”
Risk has been part of his career from the very first feature. Dognapped was a gamble. How did that shape him? Kasum grins. “When I first came into Nollywood, to be honest, I really did not care about the rules. I was going to do it regardless.” He calls himself a risk-taker. “Who makes a film that has everything? Different genres in it? Who makes a romantic horror comedy? Who shoots a film in a travelling bus that was actually really travelling to Epe?” he queries.
That early experience taught him that risks pay off. “I am not scared. Once I believe in my story, I believe in my story and I go for it.”
Kasum has worked with Timini Egbuson on multiple films across genres. Their creative relationship is strong. “I like him. He is a wonderful actor. A great human being. Hardworking.” He praises how Timini detaches from himself and becomes the character. “I just respect him. I like his vibe too. It is not something I can describe. If it fits, it fits. And we fit, apparently, because we have done a lot of things together.”
But Kasum does not see Timini as a simple go-to actor for every complex role. Instead, they approach each collaboration differently. “We try to find the truth in each character we are creating.” They have honest conversations. “Sometimes we talk, and Timini says, I don’t really think I should lead this film. And I say, yes. If I see that the character is something he can play, I push for it. We respect ourselves to tell the truth about our capabilities.”
When casting emotionally driven roles, Kasum looks for specific qualities. He wants actors who understand the character’s struggle, not just the lines. He relies on his years of industry experience. “I know a lot of actors. Their backgrounds. The types of work they are good at.” Dedication, he says, is increasingly rare. “That is very difficult to find. Actors who are dedicated to the journey of the character. Who want to deliver the script? Who take the work seriously?”
Kasum has directed romantic dramas, comedies, and everything in between. He does not decide which genre to explore next by sitting down with a plan in hand. “Bro, I go where the story takes me.” As a result, he does not select genres in advance. “If I find a horror story I like, I am doing it. Thriller? I am doing it. Psychological thriller? I am doing it.” However, he sits down and asks what the story needs. “I am very flexible in learning. I am also flexible enough to tell myself the truth that I cannot take something on.”
Looking at the broader industry, Kasum sees clear change since he started. “It has changed because it is getting better.” He remembers when a person could only name three or five great films a year. “Now, even if you look left or right, you see a good film.” He is aware that the audience is watching. “We now know that people are interested. That is a very good place to be. You don’t want to make films that people don’t see.”
Shooting schedules have expanded from four days to three months. Investment is rising, especially with the streaming boom. “People from different sectors are coming to invest. The only way is up for Nollywood,” he says. He reveals, too, that attention to detail is improving. “We are heading there.”
Kasum has had films screened internationally and won awards. He admits there was a phase in his life when he tried to be accepted by foreign audiences, to get noticed. That phase is over. “Now I just want to make honest films. Films that bring joy to people’s hearts. Maybe they win a smile or two. Maybe a joke here and there. I also want to enjoy the process.”
He balances local resonance with global appeal using one simple question. “Am I making a film I would want to watch? That is the question. If I can answer from the bottom of my heart and say yes, I know that anywhere in the world, people will enjoy the film.”
That, for Kayode Kasum, is the only rule that has never changed.