When Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, known for her work in AI policy and youth development, shared the first announcement about her new film ‘Makemation’ in February 2025, the question was inevitable: Why? With credentials from Harvard Kennedy School and a career spanning technology policy, entrepreneurship support, and COVID-19 relief efforts, what could film offer that her existing platforms couldn’t?
“I could do a conference for 5,000 people about AI and tech skills,” she explains, seated in a conversation about her debut film, executive-produced through her Rise Interactive Studios. “But millions of people are going to watch ‘Makemation’. Parents are going to make career decisions for their children because of this film.” This isn’t hyperbole – it’s a calculated move from someone who has spent years understanding how to create impact at scale.
She even described the film, a culmination of a vision that began in August 2022, as her most ambitious project yet.
The film’s production reflects Akerele-Ogunsiji’s long-standing commitment to youth empowerment. Her crew reads like a testament to young Nigerian talent: a 29-year-old director in Michael “AMA Psalmist” Akinrogunde (‘The Ghost and the Tout Too’), a 26-year-old production manager, and a co-writer who was just 24 when they began. “‘Makemation’ is a classic example of managing down, managing up, managing sideways,” she notes, describing how she learnt to trust her young team’s creative instincts, even when they challenged her own perspectives.
The scale of production is ambitious by any standard. Shot across premium locations, including Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre and PWC’s Africa headquarters, and featuring underwater scenes on the Lagos Ferry, the first cut ran over six hours. incorporates VFX, CGI, drone shots, and even AI-generated music – technical achievements that caught Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s attention, leading to its official announcement at the State House, Marina.
‘Makemation’ stars performances from co-executive producers Richard Mofe-Damijo and Shaffy Bello, ‘Mikolo’ star Fiyinfoluwa Asenuga, Tomi Ojo, Ibrahim Chatta, Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha, Ali Nuhu, Jude Chukwuka, Wumi Toriola, Damilola Ogunsi, Toyin Afolayan, Chimezie Imo, Yvonne Jegede, Elvina Ibru, Jide Kosoko, Tony Umez, Chiamaka Uzokwe, Chuks Joseph, Adeoluwa Akintoba, Pastor Remote (Tolulope Olayiwola), Nasboi (Lawal Michael Nasiru Bolaji), Paul Nnadiekwe, Michael Dappa, Akeem Ogara, and Chioma Edak.
The film also features appearances from some of Nigeria’s foremost business leaders, including Sterling Bank CEO Abubakar Suleiman, Iyin Aboyeji, co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave, and Fisayo Soyombo, the founder of Voltron Capital.
But beyond the technical achievements, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji sees ‘Makemation’ as an answer to a deeper cultural challenge. “The fabric of family is beginning to delineate,” she observes. “Mobile phones, social media… you can be here with your husband, wife, children, and everybody’s on their phones. Limited human interaction.” The film, she insists, will be “that rallying point” for families to reconnect.
Her passion becomes palpable when discussing the film’s potential impact. “When we say Makemation is more than a movie, it’s a movement, it wasn’t a slogan… it’s a statement of facts,” she declares. Already, the film has generated buzz at the Global AI Summit in Saudi Arabia and Kenya Innovation Week, suggesting its reach might extend beyond Nigeria’s borders.
As ‘Makemation’ heads to cinemas this Easter, it carries more than just entertainment value – it represents a bold bet that film can bridge the gap between technology and tradition, between generations, and between Nigeria’s present and its possible future.
The question isn’t just whether ‘Makemation’ will succeed at the box office, but whether it will achieve what its creator envisions: becoming a catalyst for transformation in how young Nigerians see their future and how families connect.
