EbonyLife Films, the production arm of media mogul Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Group, announced it will produce a cinematic adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s acclaimed 2010 novel The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. The film is scheduled for cinemas in December 2026, ending EbonyLife’s multi-year hiatus from theatrical releases.
The project is a pan-African collaboration between EbonyLife Films, Nile Media Entertainment Group, Genesis Group and Silverbird Group, reflecting an industry push to elevate Nigerian stories to global audiences.
Directed by Daniel Oriahi and adapted for the screen by Adze Ugah, the film’s production team includes Lola Shoneyin as one of the producers, ensuring the adaptation remains true to the novel’s themes of power, rivalry and gender politics within a polygamous household.
The ensemble cast is one of the most high-profile in recent Nollywood history. Odunlade Adekola leads the cast as the patriarch Baba Segi alongside Iyabo Ojo, Bimbo Ademoye, Mercy Aigbe, and Omowunmi Dada. Supporting roles include Shaffy Bello, Bisola Aiyeola, Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Bolaji Ogunmola, Bimbo Manuel, Tina Mba, Daniel Etim-Effiong, Femi Branch, Rotimi Fakunle, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori and Constance Olatunde.
The original novel, first published in 2010, tells the story of Baba Segi, a wealthy man with four wives and seven children, whose household is disrupted when he marries a younger, educated woman. The novel explores themes of polygamy, rivalry, sexuality, mental health, and gender politics. It won the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award in 2011 and prizes from the Association of Nigerian Authors
Mo Abudu described the film as a key moment for African storytelling, calling it “a world-acclaimed story” and highlighting the strength of the partnership behind the project. The December release aims to reach audiences across Nigeria and key international markets, including the United Kingdom.
