EbonyLife Place London opens as hub for African film and culture

Nigerian producer and media mogul Mo Abudu has opened EbonyLife Place London, a new cultural venue in central London dedicated to African film, black storytelling and related creative activities.

The two-storey facility, located close to the Houses of Parliament, opened to the public last weekend. It includes a cinema, bar, lounge, Nigerian restaurant, boutique and artwork created by African and diaspora designers.

The venue is described as the first of its kind in Britain and Europe. It is intended to provide a base for African creatives, black actors and storytellers, as well as established and emerging talent.

A cinema for African stories

The cinema, named Amani, a Swahili word meaning peace and harmony, will be dedicated to African film and black culture. Its programme was still being finalised, but Abudu said it was expected to feature films from across the continent and works celebrating black actors and black storytelling.

“We will have films from all parts of Africa. Everything should be on the table,” Abudu said. “We would show movies that celebrate black actors, black storytelling. That is why we are here.”

Alongside screenings, EbonyLife Place London is expected to host masterclasses, industry panels and live performances involving both established and emerging artists.

“It’s time to tell our own stories. I want to showcase the best of who we are, celebrate who we are. Let them see us at our very best,” Abudu said.

Membership access planned

Access to the venue will be provided through a membership scheme, although details of the arrangement had not yet been announced.

Abudu said membership would be open to everyone and would not be restricted by ethnicity or nationality. She said the London location was designed to make African film, fashion and other cultural experiences more accessible outside Nigeria.

“I’m not waiting anymore for anyone to take a six-hour trip from London to understand what it is to watch a Nigerian film or to see Nigerian fashion and so on and so forth,” she said.

The project was financed almost entirely by Abudu’s media group. EbonyLife is described as a leading African production company and a major force in Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry. The London venue mirrors an upscale lifestyle complex Abudu launched in Lagos in 2019.

Expanding space for African creativity

Abudu, who grew up in England, has said that she could not find anywhere to watch a black film during her youth. She is widely credited with helping usher in the era of Nollywood blockbusters and was ranked by Forbes among the world’s 100 most influential women in 2025.

She said African creatives should “take responsibility for creating our own spaces” and expressed hope that similar venues would become commonplace and mainstream within 10 years.

“There should be several others opening. So, cinemas, you know, culture hubs, food, fashion, art, bringing it all together,” Abudu said.