EbonyLife Films is bringing Lola Shoneyin’s acclaimed 2010 novel The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives to the big screen in December 2026. The production is a partnership between EbonyLife Group, Genesis Group, Nile Media Entertainment Group, and Silverbird Group, marking the first feature film adaptation of the internationally celebrated novel. The film is directed by Daniel Oriahi, with a screenplay by Adze Ugah, and Shoneyin herself as a producer.

The cast comprises some of Nollywood’s finest actors. Odunlade Adekola leads as Baba Segi, alongside Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Ademoye, and Omowunmi Dada. The supporting cast includes Shaffy Bello, Bisola Aiyeola, Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Bolaji Ogunmola, Bimbo Manuel, Tina Mba, Daniel Etim Effiong, Femi Branch, Rotimi Fakunle, Bukunmi Adeaga Ilori, and Constance Olatunde. The story follows Baba Segi, a wealthy patriarch whose polygamous household begins to unravel when he marries a fourth wife, university-educated Bolanle, whose arrival exposes secrets the first three wives have protected for years.

Shoneyin expressed her enthusiasm on social media: “Chuffed and delighted to be working with @ebonylifestudios, my sis @moabudu @heidiwena and director @danieloriahi on the screen adaptation of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. The cast has left me breathless. I am so excited!! Let the magic begin.”

Mo Abudu responded with a message acknowledging their near-decade collaboration: “Dear Lola, you wrote an extraordinary novel that is loved around the world, translated into many languages, and brought to life on stages across continents. Now it feels both timely and special that this powerful story enters a new chapter as its first ever feature film. Our journey together, when you gave me these rights, dates back nearly a decade, and am deeply grateful for your trust, your generosity, and your constant support, especially through the scripting and the careful shaping of these unforgettable characters. I am truly excited as we bring The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives to the global screen with authenticity, cultural truth, depth, and heart. The journey continues.”

This marks EbonyLife Films’ first theatrical release in five years, following a focus on streaming content. The film will be released globally in December 2026, including Nigeria and international territories such as the UK, where EbonyLife Cinemas is scheduled to open later this year. The novel has already enjoyed success across multiple platforms; it was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2011, won the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award, and has been staged theatrically in London to critical acclaim.

The project initially began as a Netflix series announcement in 2020 but has evolved into this feature film. With four major African entertainment companies backing the production and a screenplay that reportedly preserves the sharp social commentary of the original, the adaptation arrives as both a cultural moment and a test of how African stories can scale globally while maintaining their authenticity.