Did you even know that The New Village Headmaster Nigerian television drama series created by Olusegun Olusola and produced by Dejumo Lewis from 1968 to 1988 was plotted and shot in Badagry?

The show started as a radio drama in 1958 and aired for six years before it became a TV series on NBC TV Lagos (later NTA). The TV series started in 1968 with 13 episodes and ran until 1988. Unfortunately, the original recordings are not known to have survived. In 1977, the 1964 master-script by Segun Olusola was published by Ariya Productions with a cover drawing by cartoonist Josy Ajiboye.

The Village Headmaster is a popular Nigerian TV show that ran from 1968 to 1988, and was created by Olusegun Olusola and produced by Dejumo Lewis. It’s about social problems and government policies in a fictional Yoruba village of Oja. The show was also broadcast in Nigerian Pidgin, standard English, and Yoruba. The show has coined several terms now part of Nigerian culture, such as Amebo for rumourmongers and Gorimapa for bald men. In 2021, a new series of The Village Headmaster was announced, and is expected to air in April 2021. Most of the previous cast members are either deceased or retired, so most roles have been recast.

The show has had several actors play the lead role of the headmaster, including Ted Mukoro, Femi Robinson, Justus Esiri, and now Chris Iheuwa. Other notable cast members include Dejumo Lewis as Kabiyesi, Ojas traditional ruler, Clara Olushola as the headmaster’s wife, Albert Egbe as Lawyer Odunuga, and Jab Adu as Bassey Okon, the supplies store owner.

Guess what? There’s going to be a really cool event happening in Badagry from August 17th to 19th, 2023. You’ll get to meet some famous actors and learn about why they chose to film in Badagry.

It’s all part of the Badagry International Film Festival, where we’ll be celebrating this legends ,the town’s heritage and cinema. This is a great opportunity to explore Badagry and learn about its history. So mark your calendars and get ready for an awesome time!

Research and Compiled By;

Williams Otosede
Reverend Nicholas Nunayon
Viyon Awhanse
Olumide Akinsanya
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