The Nigerian film-maker who took on Disney and made history

Self-proclaimed geek, Tolu Olowofoyeku dreamed of creating video games, but he rarely saw African creators or their stories represented in the online worlds he loved. Teaming up with his childhood friend Fikayo and later film-maker Hamid, he helped launch Kugali Media, a Lagos-based platform dedicated to telling African stories through comics, animation, and games. After a BBC interview where they threatened to ‘kick Disney’s ass all over Africa’ they attracted the attention of Disney itself. This led to the team collaborating on Iwájú, an Emmy-nominated animated series and the first Disney production set in Nigeria.

As a child Jeddy Odiboh struggled with a speech impediment which knocked his self-confidence. However, he found that he had natural acrobatic skills which he used to show off, this made him a popular kid. He taught himself to backflip and began to copy fighting techniques from classic kung fu films. He later became a champion martial artist and took on the stage name Tough Bone.

Combining his love for acting and action, Tough Bone set out to become a stunt performer and filmmaker. When the industry initially rejected his ideas, he funded and produced his own action films. He then went on to work on large scale productions including Gangs of Lagos and the award- winning Hollywood movieThe Woman King.  Tough Bone is now helping to encourage a 'safety on set' culture while still pushing the boundaries of what action filmmaking in Nollywood can achieve.

(Photo: Tolu Olowofoyeku is wearing a black T-shirt on it is an outline of the continent of Africa with the word Kugali in the centre. Behind him is a poster for the Disney animation series Iwájú, which he helped co-create. The poster shows the girl and lizard characters from the series. Credit Julian Siddle)