Last week, we broke news that Netflix has finally landed in Nigeria. The global streaming giant has had a marginal presence in Nigeria since 2016 when they signed a partnership deal with Spectranet Nigeria to host local servers that will reduce the data burden of using the streaming service from Nigeria and increasing the quality of service to Nigerians. The service also had an official presence in South Africa, even investing in an original series comprised entirely of a South African cast and crew. With a robust Nigerian film and series roster on the service, it was only a matter of time before they moved to West Africa and set up shop in Nigeria.

But Netflix isn’t only coming to Nigeria to set up shop, they are already investing in a Nigerian made original Netflix series. This was announced alongside their official announcement with a video shared across brand new social media channels.

When great minds mingle, real exciting things happen. Naija, are you ready for this? @PunchNCream @lalaakindoju @FieryCJ @filmic25 @DamiElebe @HenshawKate @jokesilva @RMofeDamijo @BimboAkin @adelaoye @_kehindebankole @NonsoBassey @dghettuba pic.twitter.com/QSDiwIXJYa

— Netflix Naija (@NetflixNaija) February 28, 2020

There are three people that really excite me in this line up.

Bimbo Akintola has ALWAYS been miles ahead of her competition as an actress and I’d love to see her finally get a career defining role. C.J Obasi has been the brains behind a number of successful projects either as a writer or director and he was one of the writers of Genevieve Nnaji’s sleeper hit Lion Heart. Bringing his superior directing work to the show could prove a game changer. And of course, Nonso Bassey who is eager to prove himself as a serious method actor, already is gaining rave reviews for his work with Mildred Okwo’s La Femme Anjola, I suspect its scene work from that racy caper that got him here.

Netflix is also straying away from the traditional rom-com fare with a supernatural drama that features a goddess who is reincarnated as human to avenge her sister’s death. Of course reincarnation as a the Deus-ex machina means that she has no idea of her powers or how to control them and has to learn how to do all of that while navigating Lagos high society (clearly this show will skew towards rich and powerful Lagos island).

It will be interesting to see how the series show runner Akin Omotosho and its writer’s room (Dami Elebe is leading and her work on SGIT was trope heavy) will spin this yarn. We’ll reveal more information as we get it.