Disney and Kugali's IWAJU - the fruit of a ground-breaking union in African Animation

Official poster for IWAJU. Photograph courtesy: Disney+

On the 23rd of December 2023 I had a discussion with a senior colleague, a facilitator in the African animation space. Our discussion was centered around the fact that many Nigerians are yet to see KIZAZI MOTO, the Pan-African animated anthology series released by Disney in July 2023, because Disney+ is not yet accessible to Nigerians. 

As an aftermath of our discussion, I made a tweet later that night, appealing to Disney+ to open its doors to Nigeria in 2024, while hoping that IWAJU might also be released at the same time. I made that tweet as a Christmas wish.

The tweet I made on the 23rd of December 2023. Photograph courtesy: Ebukah Emmanuel Nzeji 

It was with much glee that I received the news, yesterday, that not only is IWAJU being released on the 28th of February 2024, after a 4-year wait, but there is also a hint of possibility that Disney+ will finally be accessible in Nigeria. Could it be providence granting me my Christmas wish in February?

IWAJU is an African-themed animated series set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria. The fruit of a ground-breaking partnership between Disney and Kugali. It’s a coming-of-age tale, chronicling the lives of Tola, a girl from the upper-class Island, and her best friend and side-kick Kolawole, a self-taught techie. Together they explore their exciting and often dangerous different worlds, riddled with secrets.

An excited Tola. Photograph courtesy: Disney+

The series was helmed by the filmmaking team from Kugali: with Olufikayo Zik Adeola, as Director, Hamid Ibrahim as Production Designer, and Toluwalakin Olowofoyeku as Cultural Consultant. Together they have created a visually stunning and techy world in full flow with the zeitgeist and ethos of Lagos.

Disney Animation’s Christina Chen produced IWAJU. While it was screeplayed by the amazing duo of Adeola and Halima Hudson. Familiar Nigerian voices from Nollywood and Hollywood such as Femi Branch, Weruche Opia, Dayo Okeniyi, alongside Simisola Gbadamosi, and Siji Soetan, all lent their voices to this ground-breaking project.

Tola and Kolawole in a visually stunning Lagos marketplace. Photograph courtesy: Disney+

A documentary ‘A Day Ahead’, is also set to be released on IWAJU’s release date. The documentary was shot across three continents, and chronicles the story of the founders of the Pan-African entertainment company, Kugali, and how they were able to team up with Walt Disney Animation Studios to create IWAJU. 

Megan Harding is the director behind ‘A Day Ahead’. Amy Astley and Beth Hoppe served as executive producers for ABC News Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios.