“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in sudden flight,
but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.”
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The aphorism above aptly captures the successful trajectory of Nigerian international and award-winning filmmaker, Amb. (Dr.) Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, who has carved a niche for himself in the murky and Herculean milieu of the Nigerian movie industry. His strides embody the profound truth that:
“Life does not give you what you deserve; it gives you what you bargain for.”
To appreciate his place in history, it is essential to revisit some golden moments of Nollywood — the foundations upon which his legacy stands.
Early Foundations of Nollywood
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) played a prominent role in cultivating Nigeria’s acting culture. It produced iconic situational comedies and soap operas that birthed the creative inspiration for what would later evolve into Nollywood.
These classics include:
Echuku, The New Masquerade, Village Headmaster, Bassey and Company, Hotel de Jordan, Willie Willie, Cockcrow at Dawn, Behind the Clouds, Ripples, Checkmate, among others.
In 1987, the prolific producer and later Executive Director (Programmes) of the NTA, Chief Peter Igho, produced Things Fall Apart, an adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s acclaimed novel. The production became the first major national projection of Igbo culture, with Chief Pete Edochie delivering a surreal and career-defining performance as Okonkwo.
In 1992, Kenneth Okonkwo starred in Living in Bondage, widely regarded as Nigeria’s first home-video blockbuster. The film explored the mystery of alleged money rituals and their consequences.
In 1994, Zeb Ejiro released another cultural sensation, Nneka the Pretty Serpent, a story steeped in the mythos of the water spirit.
That same year, Nollywood experienced a shift with Glamour Girls, starring Liz Benson, Eucharia Anunobi, and Pat Attah — a film that exposed the glitzy façade of wealth and the shadowy underworld of organised prostitution.
In response, Jeta Amata produced Glamour Boys, featuring Kepoy Ekpeyong-Bassey, J.T. Tom West, Hilda Dokubo, Victoria Inyama, Uche Osotule, among others — a gender-flipped exploration of the same theme.
Other memorable productions followed, including Mortal Inheritance (Emeka Ike & Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde), a groundbreaking film about sickle cell anaemia.
In 1997, Most Wanted—starring Genevieve Nnaji, Regina Askia, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Ayo Adesanya, and Liz Benson—redefined the crime thriller genre. It was unusual at the time to portray female armed robbers, marking a bold narrative shift.
Nollywood in the pre-2000 era also saw an array of icons: Pete Edochie, Rita Edochie, Fred Amata, Enebeli Elebuwa, Tony Umole (late), RMD, Okey Bakassi, Stephanie Okereke (now Linus), Patrick Doyle, Ireti Doyle, Jide Kosoko, Tony Umez, Saint Obi (late), Bimbo Akintola, Shan George, Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic, Chiwetalu Agu, Francis Agu (late), Bob-Manuel Udokwu, Ego Boyo, Rachel Oniga (late), Zack Orji, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Sola Sobowale, Joke Silva, Olu Jacobs, Sam Dede, Nkem Owoh, Sam Loco Efe (late), among others.
Major producers and directors included Zeb Ejiro, Zack Amata, Christian Onu, Opa Williams, Kenneth Nnebue, and Kenneth Okonkwo.
Distribution hubs were dominated by the famous addresses: 51 Iweka Road, Onitsha; Pound Road, Aba; and Idumota, Lagos—the era when marketers were kings.
The Lancelot Imasuen Era: A Game Changer
The arrival of Amb. (Dr.) Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen — De Guv’nor ushered in a new era. He helped redefine Nollywood’s ownership and creative structure, inspiring the formation of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), which empowered directors with greater control over their works.
In 2000, he released what remains Nigeria’s most iconic vigilante-crime thriller — ISSAKABA. Its gripping suspense, realism, and social commentary set a new bar for Nollywood storytelling.
In recognition of his impact, Lancelot was honored among the “60 Icons that Shaped the Nigerian Film and Video Industry” during Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary celebrations — the only living Edo person on the list (the other being the late Sam Loco Efe).
His birthday month, June, has become a season of celebration. At 50, he used the milestone to advance the arts in Benin City, highlighted by the Season of Words (Benin Poetry Club) and the launch of 50 Poems in Honour of Lancelot at 50, with a foreword by Ahmed Maiwada Esq., President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
Nollywood has produced giants, but among giants, Lancelot stands tall.
Legend has it that the term Nollywood emerged when a Hollywood director, observing Nigeria’s raw but impressive filmmaking style, exclaimed: “This is not Hollywood—this is Nollywood.”
For Lancelot, one blockbuster after another has earned him the unrivalled title “De Guv’nor.”
His philosophy of innovation — breaking away from convention — explains his excellence. This approach birthed Invasion 1897, perhaps Nigeria’s most acclaimed historical epic, featuring Pastor Mike Osakpolo Omoregbe as Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi.
Personality Profile of Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen
Born June 20, 1971, in Urhokuosa, Uhunmwonde LGA, Edo State, Lancelot’s early love for the arts showed in his active participation in drama, debate, and church productions.
A graduate of Theatre Arts, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), he began his professional journey with Earthpot Kulture in Benin and later worked with Bendel Broadcasting Service (BBS) and the NTA.
He rose to fame at age 26 with the film Yesterday.
He has been featured globally on CNN, BBC, America Public Radio, KBS (Korea), NHK (Japan), CBS (Canada), AIT, Channels TV, and several international platforms. He was the first African filmmaker featured on CNN’s Screening Room (2009).
He serves as Honorary Academic Chair (Filmmaking, Theatre & Mass Communication) at Benson Idahosa University, where a special colloquium was held in his honour in 2021.
Selected Filmography
(Corrected and Chronologically Arranged)
Yesterday – 1997
The Soul That Sinneth – 1999
The Last Burial – 2000
Issakaba – 2000
Private Sin – 2003
Enslaved – 2004
Moment of Truth – 2005
Family Battle – 2005
Games Women Play – 2005
Behind Closed Doors – 2005
Games Men Play – 2006
Yahoo Millionaire – 2007
Sister’s Love – 2008
Nollywood Babylon – 2008
Entanglement – 2009
Reloaded – 2009
Home in Exile – 2010
Bent Arrows – 2010
A Private Storm – 2010
Adesuwa – 2012
Udeme Mmi – 2012
Lonely Heart – 2013
Invasion 1897 – 2014
ABCs of Death 2 – 2014
The Insider – 2015
Enslaved (Remake) – 2015
ATM (Authentic Tentative Marriage) – 2016
Darima’s Dilemma – 2017
Love Upon the Hills – 2017
Based on Principle – 2017
Idahosa – 2017
Shadows in the Dark – 2017
Crushed – 2018
Love Birds – 2018
Benin Fruit Seller (Documentary) – 2018
Wede – 2018
Rant Queens – 2019
The Wrong One – 2019
Sacrosanct – 2019 (first film premiered in a church in Edo State)
The Fall of Nekighidi (Stage Play) – 2019
Love or Quest – 2019
Wede – 2021 (first motion picture premiered in Esan Land, Edo State)
Gbege – 2021 (yet to be released)
E’Fendral Man – 2021 (premiered June 13, 2021, at NBA Benin Bar House)
Awards and Nominations (Corrected)
(List standardised)
University of Port Harcourt Alumnus Award
AMAA Nominee (Best Director) – 2006
AFRIFF Nominee (Best Feature Film) – 2010
AMAA Nominee (Best Director) – 2012
Nollywood Movie Awards Nominee (Best Director) – 2012
AMAA (Best Nigerian Film) – 2012
Nollywood Movie Awards Nominee (Best Director) – 2013
Chicago International Film Festival (Audience Choice Nominee) – 2014
City People Movie Award (Movie Director of the Year – English) – 2015
Best Comedy Film, Abuja International Film Festival – 2016
City People Special Recognition Award – 2018
Edo Talent Awards (Award of Excellence) – 2018
Lekki International Film Festival (Best Film Award) – 2019
National Council for Arts and Culture Award – 2019
Creative Industry Group Distinguished Veterans Award – 2019
The Sage’s Immortal Words
One of Lancelot’s most inspiring aphorisms states:
“Locate your dream, then light up your passion. Let the light burn as you keep doing what is right, that you believe in, and trust in your efforts. One day, your candle will light up the world, and time will celebrate you.”
This is the story of Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen — a man whose candle today lights the world, as society stands still to celebrate an enigma.
Conclusion
Lancelot Imasuen is a gift to this generation.
His life exemplifies Abraham Lincoln’s timeless words:
“It is not the years in your life that matter, but the life in your years.”
Congratulations, sir, on your golden jubilee.
It has been fifty productive years of impacting a generation.
▪︎ Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.
Founder, Benin Writers’ Society
Global Chairman, Organising Committee
Lancelot Movie Making @ 30
