Mo Abudu Opens EbonyLife Place London for African Film and Black Culture

Nigerian producer and media executive Mo Abudu has opened EbonyLife Place London, a new venue bringing African film and Black culture into a central London setting.

The two-storey centre, located near the Houses of Parliament, opened to the public last weekend. It combines a cinema with hospitality, retail, art and event spaces, creating a platform for African creatives and established and emerging talent.

A cultural hub in central London

EbonyLife Place London includes a cinema named Amani, a Swahili word meaning peace and harmony. The venue also features a bar, lounge, Nigerian restaurant, boutique and artwork linked to African and diaspora designers.

Its planned programme includes film screenings, masterclasses, industry panels and live performances. The cinema programme was still being finalised, but Abudu said it would include films from across Africa as well as productions celebrating Black actors and Black storytelling.

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

The venue is described by its backers as the first of its kind in Britain and Europe. The project was financed almost entirely by Abudu’s media group, EbonyLife, which is a major player in Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry.

Extending the EbonyLife model

EbonyLife Place London mirrors an upscale lifestyle complex Abudu launched in Lagos in 2019. The London project brings together elements of film, food, fashion, art and performance in one location.

Abudu said the centre was created to make African culture and entertainment more accessible to audiences in Britain. She noted that people should not have to make a six-hour journey from London to experience Nigerian film or fashion.

“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,” she said.

Abudu also framed the project as part of a broader effort by African creatives to build spaces for their own work. “We have consumed so much of the world. How much of the world has consumed us,” she said.

Membership access

Access to EbonyLife Place London will be provided through a membership scheme. Abudu said membership would be open to everyone, without restrictions based on ethnicity or nationality. Further details of the scheme had not yet been announced.

Abudu, who grew up in England, has said she could not find a place 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.

Looking ahead, she said she hoped 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,” she said.