Omoni Oboli, Patricia Bebia Announce Nigeria–Canada Film Partnership

Nigerian filmmaker Omoni Oboli and Canadian director Patricia Bebia have announced a new cross-border partnership aimed at fostering collaboration between the Nigerian and Canadian film industries.

The announcement took place at CBC Television’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, where both filmmakers unveiled NicaPro and the Future Reel Network.

NicaPro, a new production company, will produce six feature films over the next three years, combining Nigerian storytelling traditions with Canadian technical and creative expertise.

Oboli, known for Okafor’s Law and Love in Every Word, said the initiative seeks to create opportunities for women filmmakers to collaborate and lead. “Through the Future Reel Network, we’re creating pathways for women to learn, collaborate, and lead,” she said.

Bebia, an award-winning filmmaker and co-owner of Afroglobal Television, described NicaPro as “a bridge between Nollywood and Canada, where creativity meets excellence to inspire global audiences.”

Industry stakeholders have praised the collaboration for its potential to expand international cooperation in film. Joan Jenkinson, Executive Director of the Black Screen Office, called it “a strategy for connection and shared storytelling.”

Former Canadian cabinet minister Dr. Jean Augustine said the initiative would “strengthen cultural ties and drive opportunity on a global scale,” while Nigerian producer Queen Blessing Ebigieson, President of the Association of Movie Producers, described it as a step toward a formal co-production treaty between both countries.

The launch of NicaPro and the Future Reel Network marks a milestone in efforts to build sustainable creative partnerships between Nigeria and Canada, underscoring a shared commitment to diverse storytelling and inclusive representation in film.