The Screenwriters That Defined 2025
The year 2025 marked the “Narrative Pivot”—a shift where Nollywood stopped simply competing on volume and started winning on depth. These 25 writers were the architects of that shift.
1. Mfon-Abasi Michael Inyang
The undisputed #1 of 2025. He single-handedly turned YouTube into a premium destination. His hit Love in Every Word hit 6.1M views in just 3 days, while Where Forever Begins and In the Name of Love cemented his prolific streak.
2025 Impact: He mastered the “Digital Retention” script model, using emotional cliffhangers to bridge the gap between free social content and high-value cinema.
2. Akinfolarin Olamide (Efun)
Creator of Koleoso, Nigeria’s most searched series of the year. Beyond her viral reach, her work on Law (Ofin) for Itele d’Icon TV showed her creative range in “Legal Folklore.”
2025 Impact: She is the primary architect of the “Supernatural Procedural,” making indigenous mythology the trendiest genre of 2025.
3. Uchenna Eileen Ugwu
The queen of streaming dominance. As the head writer for Showmax’s biggest hits, Cheta’m and Wura, she set the gold standard for prestige episodic storytelling.
2025 Impact: Her 2025 work proved that long-form TV could maintain “cinema-level” writing quality over hundreds of episodes.
4. Vanessa Kanu
The breakout star who brought “Neo-Noir” to Nollywood. Her work on The Weekend dominated awards and critical buzz for its atmospheric dread.
2025 Impact: She redefined the psychological thriller in Nigeria, moving the industry toward “quiet horror” and intellectual suspense.
5. Shola Dada
A global powerhouse. His script for Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre became a worldwide Netflix sensation, while Lisabi: A Legend is Born solidified his reach beyond domestic audiences.
2025 Impact: He is the leading voice for big-budget historical epics that successfully export Nigerian culture globally.
6. Fatimah Binta Gimsay
The industry’s workhorse. In 2025, she reached a milestone of over 20,000 minutes of television, leading scripts for Slum King, Battleground, and Checkout.
2025 Impact: She demonstrated unmatched technical versatility, managing dark crime sagas and lighthearted sitcoms simultaneously.
7. Stephen Oluboyo
The 2025 Box Office Champion. He delivered the year’s most profitable theatrical hits, including Aburo, Alakada: Bad & Boujee, and Everybody Loves Jennifer.
2025 Impact: His writing raked in a record ₦1.38 billion, proving he is the master of the “Commercial Viral Hook.”
8. Jack’enneth Opukeme
A commercial powerhouse. He was a primary writer for the cultural blockbusters Farmer’s Bride and Battle On Buka Street.
2025 Impact: He specialized in “Mass-Appeal Realism,” writing stories that resonated deeply with the Nigerian middle and working classes.
9. Dami Elebe
The urban storytelling queen. In 2025, she led Flawsome and several Netflix originals, maintaining her status as the most “quoted” writer on social media.
2025 Impact: She remains the definitive voice for modern, urban Nigerian life, focusing on female friendships and corporate dynamics.
10. Tunde Aladese
The bridge to the global market. She was the key writer for international co-productions like the Nollywood-SA thriller Fatal Seduction and the legal drama The Bar.
2025 Impact: She ensured local authenticity met premium global structural standards for the international streaming market.
11. Abayomi Alvin
The versatile dual-force. He balanced high-concept prestige scripting like The Last Ritual with commercial appeal in the rom-com Reel Love.
2025 Impact: He proved that a writer can be both an indie darling and a mainstream success in the same year.
12. Ifeanyi Barbara Chidi
Praised for her elite world-building. Her 2025 work on Cheta’m and the series Obi’s Heart brought a new level of historical accuracy to TV.
2025 Impact: She established a “literary” standard for indigenous epics, moving the genre away from simple tropes.
13. Aishat Abiri
The specialist in premium drama. Her work on Itura elevated the tone of daily television, focusing on grounded, character-driven narratives.
2025 Impact: She made “prestige period drama” accessible to younger audiences through polished, poetic dialogue.
14. Adaeze Ibechukwu
Master of the romance-epic balance. Her 2025 credits include the smash YouTube hits Breaking the Vow and A Toast to Forever, as well as King Lotanna.
2025 Exposition: She effectively “rejuvenated” the romance genre by adding layers of class conflict and social politics to digital love stories.
15. Sarah Kwaji
The year’s critical favorite. She earned massive acclaim with Out in the Darkness, a bold script tackling the rarely-discussed theme of postpartum psychosis.
2025 Impact: She used her platform to push the boundaries of “social-consciousness” in Nollywood, proving these themes could draw large audiences.
16. Bode Asiyanbi
The leader of the Yoruba-language resurgence. His 2025 work on Ijinle and Ori (Rebirth) blended modern cinematography with traditional oral roots.
2025 Impact: He brought a “High-Art” sensibility to indigenous cinema, making it competitive with English-language blockbusters.
17. Sola Osofisan
The craftsman of suspense. His 2025 highlight was the taut, atmospheric thriller Midnight in Shangisha.
2025 Impact: He mastered the “Pressure Cooker” script, where high tension is derived from dialogue and character rather than large explosions.
18. Lani Aisida
Defined digital urban drama. In 2025, his series Love Like This and the dark comedy Say Who Die? (Prime Video) captured the Gen Z audience perfectly.
2025 Impact: He showed how to pivot from successful web-series writing to high-budget streaming originals.
19. Nkiru Njoku
The veteran anchor. She sustained long-form excellence in Tinsel and The Johnsons while writing for the BBC’s EastEnders.
2025 Impact: She provided the industry’s “Structural Foundation,” mentoring dozens of newer writers while maintaining her own elite output.
20. Pearl Osibu
The “Script Doctor.” A dominant voice in cable drama writers’ rooms, her 2025 was defined by refining hits for Africa Magic Showcase like Hush Money.
2025 Impact: She is the invisible force behind the “Narrative Tightness” of the year’s most consistent episodic shows.
21. Victoria Eze
The voice of authentic street culture. She gained massive traction with A Ghetto Love Story and the urban satire Streets of Gold.
2025 Impact: She successfully elevated “Street-Pop” aesthetics into high-stakes, emotionally resonant drama.
22. Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy
The specialist in atmospheric horror. As the co-writer of The Weekend and lead on Recall, he became a premier name for genre filmmaking.
2025 Impact: He helped define the “New Nollywood” aesthetic of silence and psychological dread.
23. Collins Okoh
The “Billions-Club” regular. He co-wrote the 2025 record-breaker Everybody Loves Jenifa and the psychological thriller Finding Me.
2025 Impact: He remains the industry’s top choice for high-concept commercial projects that require a massive “theatrical scale.”
24. Akinlabi Ishola
The king of comedic collaboration. His work on Everybody Loves Jenifa and Owambe Thieves kept the box office booming.
2025 Impact: He specialized in writing “Ensemble Energy,” ensuring that even the smallest roles in a blockbuster had distinct, memorable voices.
25. Toluwani Obayan Osibe
The breakout romantic-drama auteur. In 2025, her feature Colour Me True (Prime Video) and work on Something Like Gold defined “Modern Sincerity.”
2025 Impact: She became the face of the writer-director movement, focusing on vulnerable, character-driven stories for a global audience.
