From Toronto, where he was attending the Toronto International Film Festival as an advisory board member for its 2026 content market, Moses Babatope was already looking past the red carpets. “We keep looking for avenues and ways to get our products out and globally monetised,” he told Nollywire.
That ambition is at the heart of why his new distribution outfit, Nile Entertainment, has gone all in on ‘Osamede’.
The partnership traces back to producer Lilian Olubi, who first connected with Babatope while he was still at FilmOne. She stayed in touch as the project moved from idea to production, updating him even after he left the company. By the time ‘Osamede’ was complete, it was Nile that felt best positioned to take it forward.
“Apart from the fact that we had what it takes to probably take care of it a lot more, because I was vested and very interested from the beginning, Lilian was kind enough to bring it to us,” Babatope said.
That decision has set up the release strategy for the culturally rooted epic. ‘Osamede’ will arrive in cinemas on October 17, with Nile planning an aggressive rollout beyond Nigeria. Screenings are lined up in Francophone Africa, the UK, the US, and France, with the international push stretching through November.
For Babatope, that scale is less about chasing box office numbers and more about reaching communities where the story will resonate. He points to the Edo diaspora across Europe and North America as a central audience.
“We’re really pushing, even in France as well. I’m leveraging the very tightly knit and together Edo community across Europe and the world, which will have a strong showing. Really tapping into those communities and trying to get all of them out for a sense of cultural pride.”
That cultural pride, he argues, is the film’s most powerful draw. While Osamede does not have the star-studded cast typical of Nigerian blockbusters, Nile is betting on its technical execution and its representation of Edo heritage.
William Benson, who leads the cast, has spoken about how overlooked he has felt in Nollywood, and the film’s ensemble spent 14 days living in Benin to bring the story to life; a commitment strengthened by the fact that many of them, including Ivie Okujaye, William Benson, Lexan Aisosa Peters, Tosin Adeyemi, Lancelot Imasuen, Etinosa Idemudia, and Paul Obazele, are themselves of Edo heritage. That authenticity carries through in the dialogue, which is spoken mostly in the Edo language.
“We’re light in terms of superstar power,” Babatope said, “but we’re very heavy in terms of technical representation and technical execution. And of course, very strong in terms of cultural representation as well.”
It’s a gamble that reflects both Babatope’s business instincts and the film’s creative DNA.
Directed by James Omokwe, who has connected with Babatope since his 2013 debut, Awakening, Babatope says the film’s weight goes beyond its story to the people behind it: Olubi’s persistence, Omokwe’s consistency, and the production’s commitment to detail.
“Thanks to James Omokwe as well, who we’ve had a very solid, consistent relationship with from his first film,” he said. “I’m really excited about this and hopeful for a very good run.”
As ‘Osamede’ nears release, Nile’s plans reflect a broader shift in Nollywood distribution, one Babatope has been vocal about in his vision for Nile Media Entertainment Group.
The emphasis is no longer only on marquee names or domestic hits but on finding stories that can travel: culturally, commercially, and emotionally.
And ‘Osamede’, with its blend of history, craft, and diaspora pride, fits perfectly into what Nile is looking for: a film that honours its roots while finding its place in the global market.
