Every year on May 27, children all over the world are celebrated for their innocence and joy. It’s a day to recognise their rights, well-being, and most importantly their role in society.
What better way to celebrate Children’s Day this year than by diving into a world of amazing stories and imagination, from a futuristic Lagos adventure to ancient warrior tales.
Here are 7 Nigerian animations that offer something for every child:
1. Iwaju (2024)
Synopsis: This animated series is set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, and it follows the story of a young girl named Tola, who lives in an affluent part of Lagos, and her best friend, Kole, who is a self-taught tech expect, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.
Director: Olufikayo Ziki Adeola
Cast: Simisola Gbadamosi, Dayo Okeniyi, Femi Branch, Siji Soetan, and Weruche Opia
2. 3024 (2024)
Synopsis: It follows the story of Dan Brown, who comes to Ekopolis, a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, and tries to make a living. As he tries to carve his path in the city, the city also tries to carve a path in him. 3024 is a lighthearted, effortlessly quirky and creative projection of what life in Nigeria could look like ten centuries from now.
Director: Danbrown the Artist
Cast: Dan Brown, Prince Soiprala, Tuonims Alabo, and Vanessa Onu
3. Kibi Quazi (2024)
Synopsis: Kibi Quazi is a 2D animation centred around a teenage boy, Oluwakibi, who, through his inquisitiveness discovers a mask that transforms him into an ancient Yoruba warrior – GBOGAN – and together they undertake super-heroic acts by saving people, and the environment, as well as curtailing villains.
4. Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopster (2020)
Synopsis: This 3D feature-length animated movie follows the story of an intelligent, self-absorbed little girl who finds herself in wildly unfamiliar territory. There she encounters a band of highly unusual characters who change the course of her destiny.
Director: Adebisi Adetayo
Cast: Bimbo Akintola, Patrick Doyle, Bola Edwards, Kalu Ikeagwu, Simi Hassan, Francis Sule, Casey Edema, andAwazi Angbalaga
5. Malaika: Warrior Queen (2019)
Synopsis: Set in fifteenth-century West Africa, the movie follows the story of a Queen and military commander, Malika, who struggles to keep the peace in her ever-expanding empire. Growing up as a prodigy, Malika inherited the crown from her father in the most unusual of circumstances, splitting the Kingdom of Azzaz in half. After years of civil war, Malika was able to unite all of Azzaz, expanding it into one of the largest empires in all of West Africa, but expansion would not come without its costs.
Cast: Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Femi Branch, Deyemi Okanlawon, Blossom Chukwujekwu, and Sambasa Nzeribe
6. Èwà (Beans) (2024)
Synopsis: The short animated film tells the story of a young Nigerian kid, Ranti, who is faced with the dilemma of achieving his desire of growing taller, before the next school year. On this journey, he is forced to believe in the one thing (Beans) he hates the most.
Director: Kiitan Durosinmi-Etti
7. Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (2023)
Synopsis: Each episode of this anthology series has an African perspective, from one or more directors, touching on themes such as social media, duality, disability, self-reflection, shared humanity, and African mythologies.
Director: Shofela Coker, Raymond Malinga, Simangaliso ‘Panda’ Sibaya & Malcolm Wope, Nthato Mokgata & Catherine Green, Tshepo Moche, Pious Nyenyewa & Tafadzwa Hove, Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane, Ahmed Teilab, Lesego Vorster, and Ng’endo Mukii
Cast: Raymond, Kenneth, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Nasty C, Lillian Dube, and Florence Kasumba, Kehinde Bankole
Where to watch: Disney+ and the Disney channel on DSTV
