Oluseyi Asurf, the director of Iyaloja, explains that the film draws deeply from his personal and cultural background as a Yoruba man. He says the project is rooted in his lived experience growing up around the marketplace and the social dynamics that define it.
The film, a dramatic comedy, blends romance, sacrifice, ambition, family themes, and power dynamics within female-led traditional structures. It is set within the intersection of urban Lagos life and Yoruba tradition, with the Iyaloja institution at its centre as a symbol of cultural and economic authority.
Speaking in a brief interview with The Nollywood Reporter, Asurf says the project has been in development for several years. “Iyaloja was one of three projects I co-developed with executive producer Joy Odiete about four to five years ago,” he says. “From the beginning, this particular story stood out to me because of its setting and because it felt deeply familiar.”
He traces the inspiration further to his upbringing in Ipaja, where he grew up observing the market as more than a place of trade. “I grew up in a Yoruba community where the market was never just a place to buy food or trade goods,” he says. “It was a world of its own — a space for family support, power struggles, traditional economics, relationships, gossip, ambition and survival.”
He adds that the market often reflects broader societal structures. “Markets often reflected the larger structure of society itself,” he says.
For Asurf, the cultural weight of the Iyaloja institution adds deeper meaning to the story. He notes that it represents influence beyond commerce, extending into community leadership and identity. “Being Yoruba, I also understand the weight and significance of the market within our cultural hierarchy,” he says. “The Iyaloja institution carries influence beyond commerce. It touches community, identity and power.”
He also highlights his interest in exploring flawed characters within structured systems. “What excited me was the opportunity to tell a story in that world while exploring characters who are imperfect and trying to create change within systems that constantly remind them of the past,” he says.
Asurf adds that the project also allows him to experiment creatively. “The project gave me room to play with comedy in ways I hadn’t explored in my previous work,” he says. “I usually lean into drama and emotionally intense storytelling, so that was exciting creatively.”
On the casting process, he notes a mix of familiarity and new collaborations. “Some were talents I had worked with before while others were people I had looked forward to collaborating with for years,” he says. “The entire experience felt familiar and fresh at the same time.”
Iyaloja, distributed by Blue Pictures Distribution, leads with Kehinde Bankole and opens in cinemas nationwide on May 29.
