Nigerian filmmaker champions universal storytelling for African creatives

Nigerian filmmaker, Tomiwa Tobiloba Aareola, has urged African creatives to keep producing stories that resonate with audiences around the world.

He said his personal mission as a filmmaker is to craft films that evoke genuine emotion, no matter where viewers are located.

“My mission is to tell stories that resonate with everyone,” Aareola said. “I want people to watch my films and feel something honest and familiar, whether they are in Lagos, Dublin or anywhere else.”

Aareola began his filmmaking journey in Nigeria, where his time at HipTV helped shape his approach to visual storytelling.

He credits the fast-paced media environment with exposing him to a wide range of human experiences. “Working at HipTV taught me how powerful visual storytelling can be. It shaped how I see people, emotions and life,” he said.

His career later expanded beyond Nigeria through collaborations with international YouTubers such as Sam Newton, Karl Shakur and Lobos Films.

These partnerships, he stated, helped sharpen his signature clean, emotional visual style and broadened his digital footprint. “Every project pushed me to grow. I learned how to create visuals that are intentional and full of feeling,” he noted.

A major turning point came when he moved to Ireland to study film at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT). There, he contributed to several acclaimed student films, including Lies of Envy and The Forgotten Griever, both of which earned international festival nominations. “Ireland opened my mind. It gave me space to experiment and understand cinema from different angles,” he said.

Now working across Africa and Europe, Aareola remains committed to creating authentic stories that reflect African identity while connecting with global audiences. He believes that when told with honesty, African narratives possess universal appeal.

“We need to tell African stories that resonate with the rest of the world. Stories that touch the heart and remind people of our shared humanity” he said.

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