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In Uncategorized October 9, 2026 By Women of Rubies

How Mo Abudu Built Platforms for African Stories to Reach the World

A powerful story needs a way to reach the people who could connect with it. Mo Abudu’s career offers a compelling example of what happens when a clear purpose is supported by years of work and platforms built to carry that purpose further.

As the founder and CEO of EbonyLife Group, Abudu has helped create spaces for African stories across television, film and cultural experiences. Her journey connects storytelling with an equally important question: where will audiences encounter the work?

Creating space for African conversations

Abudu entered media as the creator, executive producer and presenter of Moments with Mo. The programme brought African experiences and conversations to television, giving her a platform to explore the continent through its people and their stories.

She later launched EbonyLife TV in 2013, followed by EbonyLife Films in 2014. These ventures expanded the ways she could develop and share African narratives, moving from presenting conversations to building a broader production business.

For founders and creatives, this progression offers a useful point of reflection. A purpose can remain consistent while the way it reaches people evolves. An interview, a publication, a film or a physical venue can each introduce that purpose to a different audience.

Bringing Nigerian stories to international audiences

In June 2020, Netflix announced a multi-title partnership with Abudu’s production company, EbonyLife. The agreement included plans for original series and licensed films, with announced adaptations of works by Nigerian writers Lola Shoneyin and Wole Soyinka.

The partnership created another route for Nigerian storytelling to reach viewers internationally. It also reflected the production work EbonyLife had built over time. Our visibility takeaway is that reach and readiness belong together. A wider platform can introduce your work to more people, while a strong body of work gives potential partners something concrete to assess.

EbonyLife Place London: a physical home for culture

Abudu’s vision now includes EbonyLife Place London, which celebrated its opening on October 8, 2026. The venue brings together cinema and cultural experiences, creating a London destination for African and Black creativity.

AFP’s reporting describes a cinema, restaurant, lounge, boutique and artworks within the space, with public opening activities taking place that weekend. The project extends a concept Abudu previously established in Lagos.

For this story, the significance is the connection between creation and access. A physical destination gives people another way to discover films, fashion, art and culture. It turns a storytelling mission into an experience audiences can enter.

Visibility lessons for founders and creatives

At Women of Rubies, we draw three practical lessons from this journey.

Be clear about your purpose. What do you want your work to communicate? A clear answer helps people understand why your business, project or story matters.

Build work people can discover. Document your projects, explain your contribution and keep your professional materials current. Make it easy for someone encountering you for the first time to understand what you offer.

Pursue relationships that expand your reach. Consider the publications, communities, organisations or collaborators whose audiences could benefit from your work. Approach them with a clear connection between what you create and the people they serve.

These are our editorial observations, rather than a formula that guarantees the same results. Abudu’s career also reflects the sustained business and creative work required to develop and deliver her vision.

What could help your work travel further?

You may already have a valuable service, completed project or story that deserves another introduction. Start with one piece of work. Explain the need it addresses, show what you contributed and identify an audience that would find it useful. Then consider the platform or relationship that could help you reach them.

Mo Abudu’s journey invites founders to think about both the work they create and the spaces through which people discover it.

Explore more inspiring profiles and practical visibility insights on womenofrubies.com.

In Career Gems August 7, 2019 By Women of Rubies

FUNKE AKINDELE TO MAKE DIRECTIONAL DEBUT WITH NEW FILM, ‘YOUR EXCELLENCY’

Funke Akindele Bello has joined forces with EbonyLife for her directorial debut, Your Excellency.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EbonyLife Films (@ebonylifefilms) on Aug 5, 2019 at 12:14pm PDT

Funke Akindele has always passed social commentary in everything she’s involved with, right from her breakout in I Need To Know. This time, with “Your Excellency”, she’s taking on the political landscape and adding her signature brand of humour to the pertinent subject matter.

Speaking about the film’s synopsis, Mo Abudu said:

“Your Excellency tells the story of Chief Olalekan Ajadi, a bumbling, billionaire businessman and failed presidential candidate, who is obsessed with Donald Trump.

Just when his campaign looks set to be another disaster, Ajadi is anointed by a major party and becomes a credible contender – all through the power of social media.”

Your Excellency boasts a star-studded cast that includes Lala Akindoju, Eku Edewor, Alexx Ekubo, Osas Ighodalo, Ini Dima-Okojie, Deyemi Okanlawon, Chigul and Helen Paul.

Check out some BTS shots below:

(Photo: EbonyLife Film)

Credit: konbini.com

In self development February 9, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

MO ABUDU HOSTS SUCCESSFUL MENTORING PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG WOMEN

Last month, Mo Abudu launched Your Dream Moment with Mo, a new mentoring programme for young women. In doing so, she was fulfilling a lifelong dream of her own to contribute to the development of Nigerian girls who are driven to make the most of their talents and opportunities.

Staged at the Oakwood Park Hotel in Lekki, the day consisted of a series of practical workshops, led by a number of influential speakers, including Bola Adesola, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank; Nimi Akinkugbe, CEO, Bestman Games; Lanre ‘Coach’ Olusola, author and life coach; Bidemi Zakariyau, CEO, LSF PR and Veronica Odeka, Founder, Vanestyle. Naturally, the event was anchored by Mo herself, as she dispensed pearls of wisdom and experience, encouraging the young ladies to reach for their dreams in a very strategic way.

Bola Adesola shared her personal journey of balancing a successful career with being a wife and mother, along with tips on goal-setting, being purposeful, living a full life and finding a spouse who supports your ambition. Lanre Olusola spoke about the principles of success, finding your purpose, loving yourself and having a clear vision for your life.

Nimi Akinkugbe‘s theme was Wealth Management & Funding Your Dream and she emphasised the importance of budgeting, saving, investing in yourself, lifelong learning and finding your passion. As Nigeria’s foremost celebrity stylist, Veronica Odeka, spoke about the importance of style as a way of projecting your personality, standing out from the crowd, increasing your confidence and improving your self-esteem, as well as sharing tips on building a beauty brand. Bidemi Zachariyau gave pointers on how to build a personal brand and why it is critical to impressing your next employer or client.

Speaking after the event, Mo Abudu expressed her gratitude to the speakers and support staff who made the event possible and how much it meant to all the attendees. “I’m so glad we finally made this happen. The future of Nigeria is extremely bright if we manage to nurture our young women and empower them to make their dreams and plans come true. I learned so much today about the strength, resilience, innovation and creativity of these bright young women, and I am determined to continue with this mentorship programme to ensure that as many as possible become successful entrepreneurs, executives and top professionals. They have so much to offer Nigeria.”

Amongst the attendees were lawyers, doctors, bankers, bloggers and entrepreneurs, looking for a way to fast-track their way to greater heights. Judging from their response, Your Dream Moment with Mo, was a resounding success. As the first in a series, the programme will continue across Nigeria throughout 2019.

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