From talk show host to media magnate, Mo Abudu has consistently pushed the boundaries of African storytelling.
Now 60, the founder and CEO of EbonyLife Group is setting her sights on London, where she plans to transform a historic South London theater into EbonyLife Place London—a vibrant hub celebrating Nigerian cinema, culture, and cuisine.
The project mirrors the original EbonyLife Place in Lagos, Nigeria, and marks another strategic move in Abudu’s mission to amplify African voices globally.
“For me it was just about ensuring that we have a voice,” she told CNN’s Larry Madowo. Her career, which began in human resources, took a dramatic turn at age 40 when she walked away from corporate life to pursue media—a shift many doubted, but one that defined her legacy.
Abudu first gained national recognition with her 2006 talk show Moments with Mo. In 2013, she launched EbonyLife TV, followed by EbonyLife Films in 2014. Since then, her company has evolved into a powerhouse of African content creation.
Her latest endeavor isn’t just cultural—it’s commercial. Abudu is preparing to roll out the Afro Film Fund, a $50 million initiative set to launch by the end of 2025.
The fund aims to bridge the gaps in Africa’s creative value chain by training filmmakers, financing projects, and securing distribution channels—ensuring African films are not just made, but seen and monetized internationally.
“Nigerian films are performing across Africa,” Abudu said, “but they’re struggling to enter the UK theatrical market. That needs to change.”
With limited infrastructure for African cinema in the UK, Abudu believes it’s time to build the ecosystem herself. The Afro Film Fund and her London venue are key parts of that strategy. “If we don’t build it, we can’t scale the industry. If we can’t scale the industry, we can’t monetize,” she said.
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This year, EbonyLife ON, the company’s streaming platform, will also launch, rounding out an ambitious media expansion.
TIME magazine recently recognized Abudu as one of 2025’s 100 most influential people—a nod to her growing influence in global entertainment.
Actor Idris Elba, who is co-developing a feature film with her after their short film Dust to Dreams, praised her tenacity and energy, writing, “She wastes no time.”
Abudu, who was born in London, says returning there to champion African cinema feels like coming full circle. Despite past fears of failure, she’s learned to act in spite of them. “You may be scared… but you’re going to have to just be bold and do it anyway,” she said.
More than a personal journey, her work signals a shift in African storytelling: one where Africans are not just creators, but global distributors and industry leaders. “It is time for us to wake up and realize that we need to push out,” she said. “We have that responsibility to tell our own stories—and they must travel.”
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