Del York International Signs Deal with US Storyland Studios to Develop Film City in Lagos

Vanessa Obioha

A new partnership between Del York International Group and Storyland Studios based in the United States is set to transform the film industry in Nigeria.

This is as both companies have signed a deal to develop a major film city project in Lagos, a first of its kind ambitious project.

Lagos is undisputedly Africa’s business capital with an estimated 20 million people living in the city. Therefore, the siting of the new film city would most likely dramatically improve the economic potential of the state if not tourism throughout the region.

“The continent’s burgeoning community of creatives have long been inspired through the magic of film and television, spiriting themselves into worlds they never thought possible but curtailed by their immediate circumstances,” the President of Del York International Group, Mr. Linus Idahosa, who is also the founder of the Del-York Creative Academy (a renown film making institute on the African continent) said.

“With this agreement in place, we can finally realise that purpose-designed infrastructure that will match the dreams and most expansive imaginations of creatives on the African continent,” he added.

Also commenting, the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Storyland Studios Mel McGowan said: “We’re excited to be part of the further development of Nigeria’s incredibly prolific and rapidly-growing film industry. The Lagos film city concept is a cultural, creative ecosystem that will be a catalyst not only for the country of Nigeria but for Africa.”

With many exotic locations for such a project, Epe has been picked as the location.
The project which is also in partnership with Lagos State government would be a one-in-all facility that would combine the best in leisure and theme park facilities with that of film making and industry capacity building.

The facility would house multiple sound studios, backlot sets, water tanks, workshops, and production offices alongside a theme park setting that includes rides, tourist attractions, movie museums, and a walk of fame.

The multi-million-dollar facility would no doubt attract more international producers to domesticate their filmmaking operations in the country and have a pool of trained professionals they can draw on to produce quality content.
Construction is scheduled to start in early 2022.