Chigozie Obioma, the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of The Fishermen and An Orchestra of Minorities, has added a new title to his creative identity: movie producer. Obioma took to X to celebrate his debut producer credit on the Nollywood romantic comedy Call of My Life, writing, “I am asking you to see this movie, folks. This is the first movie in which yours truly is listed as a producer and it’s fantastic.” The announcement was met with enthusiasm from fans across his social media pages, one of whom excitedly noted spotting Obioma’s book in the film itself, while another declared, “my favorite author is now a movie producer and I can’t keep calm.”

The film follows Soluchi, a hopeless romantic still in her healing phase when a routine work call puts her in touch with the ever-charming Eli, and she begins to glimpse the love story she has always dreamed of. Uzoamaka Power and Andrew Bunting, previously seen together in the Zikoko short My Body, God’s Temple, lead the cast as Soluchi and Eli respectively. They are joined by Nollywood legends Nkem Owoh, Patience Ozokwor, and Zubby Michael, alongside content creator Justin Ugonna and actress Beverly Osu. The film is directed by Dammy Twitch, a music video director making his feature film debut, making Call of My Life something of an assembly of firsts across the board.

In an email exchange with Brittle Paper, Obioma explained that he was drawn to the project because he has always nursed an ambition; to push the boundaries of Nigerian filmmaking which has stayed too long in the slapstick and melodrama genres:

“I have known Blessing Uzzi for a long time and even read an early version of Freedom Way. I think she is a brilliant filmmaker who is trying to break from the cliché of the “Nollywood” film. In October, we met in Lagos to discuss the project and the conversation went on for hours. I have always wanted to change the outlook of Nigerian cinema and have been looking for an opportunity to do just that. So, I knew I wanted to get involved in the project. I also loved the challenge—the fact that this genre isn’t something I would write in my fiction, but in film, it seemed completely refreshing.”

 He was equally effusive about the craft on display:

“I loved the script by Uzoamaka Power, Dammy Twitch’s direction and the cast. As you can see, the final product, as the hype has already shown, is majestic. Call of My Life is a brilliant film—perhaps the best Nigerian film I have seen in a very long time, if ever.”

The hype has translated into real numbers: the film made nearly ₦80 million in its opening week at the cinema, according to the Nigerian Box Office, closely followed by Micheal, the story of pop superstar Michael Jackson.

Obioma’s foray into film is part of an exciting pattern taking shape in 2026. His producer debut joins Lola Shoneyin’s highly anticipated adaptation of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, which is heading to cinemas this December, another significant bridge between Nigeria’s literary and film worlds. These collaborations have been rare in recent years, but their growing frequency may well be the beginning of a more sustained and generative conversation between two of Nigeria’s most powerful creative industries.