Iwaju To Air On DSTV, Launch Game Iwaju: Rising Chef

Amid its premiere in Lagos early this week, Kugali Media, creators of first ever original, Nigerian Disney animation series Iwaju announced that the series will air on DSTV. 

The company in collaboration with Maliyo Games also released a video game Iwaju: Rising Chef, based off the series. 

Speaking at the premiere, director and one of trio founders of Kugali Filmmaker, Olufikayo Ziki Adeola, said the series is a love letter to Lagos, Nigeria, and an ode to the rich legacy of African storytelling.

“We are proud to share this series and hope that it inspires more Africans across the world to share their stories and shape our collective narrative.”

Elevating the cultural richness of the animation is its music composed by Re Olunuga whose musical credits include 2022 Disney+ original movie Rise, and the BBC film Girl. 

On crafting the musical score to the animation, Olunuga said, “I tend to inhabit the emotions of the characters or subjects and then translate them into music. In this case, it couldn’t be avoided. In addition to Tola’s adventurous spirit, Kole’s ingenuity and the many other fun and beautiful emotional threads explored in Iwaju, the score is steeped in my own very deep love for Lagos and its multiplicitous layers. Being invited by Ziki and the amazing teams at Disney and Kugali to help tell this beautiful coming of age story that explores themes of family, friendship and ingenuity has been an amazing adventure in itself.”

African viewers who lack access to the Disney+ platform, can catch the series on DSTV Channel 303 in April and May 2024. 

Meantime, Kugali has extended the Iwaju story to the gaming world. Developed by Maliyo Games in collaboration with Disney and Kugali, Iwaju: Rising Chef allows players to advance their culinary skills, become the best chef in Lagos and takeover the fanciest restaurant in town. 

Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studio and the Pan-African Entertainment Company, Iwaju, set in futuristic Lagos, is the coming-of-age story of Tola Martins (voiced by Simisola Gbadamosi) a young girl from wealthy Island, and her best friend, Kole (Siji Soetan) self-taught tech expert, as both discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds. 

The series is produced by Disney Animation’s Christian Chen, with screenplay by Adeola and Halima Hudson. It features a star-studded voice cast comprising Ireti Doyle (Mrs Usman), Chioma ‘Chigul’ Omeruah (Chioma), Kehinde Bankole (Mama Kole), who were all present at the Lagos premiere.

Other voice casts in the animation are Bisola Aiyeola (Happiness), Femi Branch (Bode DeSousa), Toyin Oshinaike (Godspower), and Obi Maduegbuna (Hawkers & Lackeys).  

Founded in 2017 by Tolu Olowofoyeku, Olufikayo Adeola and Hamid Ibrahim, with the aim taking African stories to the world, Kugali Media has attracted recognition from production companies like Disney and the BBC, and paved the way for new African storytellers to find their voices in graphic novels.