Nigeria, China filmmakers push co-production deals at Abuja festival

Nigerian and Chinese filmmakers are looking to move their countries' cultural ties into real business, with talks in Abuja centred on co-productions, technology transfer and getting each other's films into cinemas and onto streaming platforms.

The push came at the Chinese Film Screening in Nigeria 2026 in Abuja, held alongside the 23rd Abuja International Film Festival. Stakeholders said Nigeria's storytelling strength and China's cinema infrastructure, capital and distribution reach could work well together.

The scale on the Chinese side is large. According to figures from the China Film Administration, China earned 51.832 billion yuan at the box office in 2025, sold 1.238 billion cinema tickets and ended the year with 93,187 cinema screens. Locally made films took nearly 80 per cent of box-office earnings.

Fidelis Duker, founder of the Abuja International Film Festival, said the Chinese delegation told participants that China sold about 1.3 billion cinema tickets the previous year. He said talks covered production, distribution and co-production, including meetings with Nigerian film institutions and plans to sit with distributors and cinema operators in Lagos.

"What we found out today, or what we've known over the years, is that China has technology," Duker said. He argued that pairing Nigerian storytelling with Chinese technical capacity, money and distribution could open big possibilities for both sides.

What it means for Nollywood

For the Nigerian industry, the opportunity goes beyond selling finished films abroad. The talks also covered joint productions, technical training, stronger post-production capacity and distribution deals that could put Nigerian stories before wider international audiences.

Yang Jianxing, director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, said film remains an important bridge between the two peoples. He said cooperation has grown through film screenings in both directions, professional exchanges, festivals and cross-border distribution.

He said a partnership involving the Chinese Embassy, the China Cultural Centre and StarTimes Nigeria has brought Chinese films and television shows to Nigerian viewers, including a month-long showcase, a Chinese Women's Film Festival and works dubbed or subtitled in local languages such as Hausa. Nigerian films, he added, have also reached mainstream Chinese digital platforms.

Bai Yimin, chairman of Huaxia Film Distribution Company Limited, who led the Chinese delegation, said film cooperation has become a strong part of China-Nigeria cultural exchanges. He said the embassy and the cultural centre would keep supporting cinema as a way of connecting audiences.

Ten Chinese films entered this year's festival, five of them nominated for awards. Chinese films have featured in 22 of the festival's 23 editions, Duker said. Three films were screened at the event: The Shadow's Edge, Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert and The Lychee Road.

The Abuja talks build on an August 2026 agreement between the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and China Movie Channel on co-production, technology transfer, training and wider distribution.

What happens next

Big audiences do not automatically mean big earnings. Filmmakers entering each other's markets will need reliable distribution partners, proper subtitling and dubbing, marketing support, clear licensing terms and investment deals that protect everyone involved.

Differences in audience taste, language, production methods and market rules will also have to be worked out. The test for both sides is whether the screenings and handshakes turn into financed films, regular releases and lasting business ties.