In collaboration with The ELFIKE Collective in 2016, she produced ‘The Wedding Party’, which soon became the highest-grossing movie of all time in the Nigerian film industry. She went on to executively produce or co-produce other riveting films, including ‘The Wedding Party 2’, ‘The Royal Hibiscus Hotel’, ‘Chief Daddy’, ‘Your Excellency’, and ‘Òlòtūré.’

Making International Business Moves

Described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman” and rated as one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Global Television” by ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Abudu soon began making major international business moves, one of which was signing a three-year deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT) in 2018.

Two years later, in 2020, AMC Networks (USA) announced its partnership with EbonyLife to produce an afrofuturistic crime-drama. In February of the same year, Netflix acquired streaming rights to EbonyLife’s drama series. In June, Netflix signed a deal with EbonyLife to create two original series as well as multiple Netflix-branded films.

Since her days as a recruitment consultant at Atlas Recruitment Consultancy Firm, UK, the 56-year-old Ondo State native, who was born in Hammersmith, West London, has always been a go-getter.

She rose to the position of branch manager at the recruitment consultancy firm within three years, from 1987 till 1990. She then made the move to Starform Group, where she stayed till she returned to Nigeria.

While in the country, she worked for Arthur Andersen as Head of Human Resources and Training for Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (Exxon) for a decade before leaving to start her own outsourcing firm, Vic Lawrence and Associate Limited.

Africa's Oprah or Nigerian Winfrey

Her roles as the executive producer and host of ‘Moments with Mo’ in the 2000s fetched her critical acclaim, and she was often compared to Oprah Winfrey, with ‘The Independent’ and ‘Slate Afrique’ calling her “Africa’s Oprah” or “Nigerian Winfrey” respectively.

The show, which aired on M-Net with TV coverage in 48 African countries, had had over 200 episodes by 2009. With aired topics, ranging from lifestyle to music, guests had included celebrities, presidents, Nobel Laureates, and the 67^th US Secretary-of-State, Hillary Clinton.

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Mfonobong Akpan