Akay Mason has emerged as one of the sharper voices shaping the new wave of Nollywood storytelling. As a writer, director and now producer, he has steadily built a body of work that refuses to stay in one lane, moving from intimate dramas to time travel adventures and tense thrillers while still keeping audiences engaged.
Born Akhigbe Ilozobhie, he grew up as the middle child of three in a household where both parents worked long hours. Television became his constant companion. He soaked up stories from local soaps to American series, often retelling full plots to classmates the next day. The real spark came around age fifteen when an uncle took him to the cinema to watch Ije. That first Nigerian film on the big screen stayed with him. From then on, the idea of making films himself refused to leave.
He enrolled at the University of Lagos to study Political Science, but the classroom never held the same pull as storytelling. By his second year he knew the degree was not for him. He applied to film schools across Africa and landed a place at Reel Edge Film Academy in Johannesburg. The decision cost him. His father was deeply unhappy and stepped back. His mother, however, believed in the dream enough to sell her cold room business so he could complete the three year programme majoring in screenwriting and directing.
While still in film school he reached out on Facebook to Niyi Akinmolayan, whose work had already caught his attention. That connection led to an apprenticeship at Anthill Studios after he returned to Nigeria. For roughly five years he did every job available, learning the practical side of filmmaking from the ground up. The patience paid off. Akinmolayan eventually handed him a script that needed rewriting. Mason turned The Elevator into Elevator Baby.
Released in 2019, Elevator Baby became his breakthrough. The story of a privileged young man and a pregnant woman trapped together in a lift struck a chord. It performed solidly at the box office and earned major recognition at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, with Toyin Abraham and Timini Egbuson taking home Best Actress and Best Actor in a Drama. The film later received an Indian remake, proof that the story travelled beyond Nigerian screens. Mason had announced himself as a director who could deliver both commercial results and awards attention.
He followed up in 2021 with Day of Destiny, co written and co directed with Abosi Ogba. Marketed as Nigeria’s first time travel feature, the family adventure film showed his willingness to experiment with genre at a time when many preferred safer territory. That same year he directed Superstar, another project that added to his growing reputation. By then people had begun calling him one of the youngest directors to post consistent box office numbers.
The years that followed saw him expand his range. Bank Alert (2023) leaned into comedy with Okey Bakassi in the lead, while Love in a Pandemic explored romance against the backdrop of recent global events. He also directed Ada Omo Daddy and continued taking on projects that mixed drama, humour and social observation. In 2025 Red Circle arrived as a crime thriller, further proof that he is comfortable shifting between tones and still finding an audience.
Recognition has followed the work. He received nominations at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for screenplay, at the BON Awards, and a Future Awards Africa nod for directing. More importantly, he has kept working at a steady pace, building relationships with producers and actors across the industry.
In 2026 he took a significant step by launching his own production company, Element24 Media. The first major project under the new banner is the moral thriller Five Figurines (also referred to as Five Figures), which he is directing and co producing. The film brings together a strong cast that includes Odunlade Adekola, Ini Edo, Bimbo Akintola, Wumi Toriola and others. For Mason the project marks a personal milestone: the chance to own the full creative process rather than directing for hire.
Public details about his private life remain limited. He has spoken openly about the support his mother gave him at a critical moment and about the early challenges of choosing film over a conventional path, but he keeps family matters largely out of the spotlight. What comes through clearly in interviews is a focus on craft, a preference for preparation, and a belief that Nigerian stories can hold their own when told with care and ambition.
Mason’s career so far feels like the work of someone who decided early what he wanted and then put in the years to make it real. From dropping out of university to studying abroad, from sweeping floors at a production company to directing features that fill cinemas, the path has been deliberate. As he moves into producing under his own banner, the next chapter looks set to test how far that same determination can carry Nigerian storytelling on its own terms.
Quick Facts
Real name: Akhigbe Ilozobhie
Date of birth: Circa 1993
State of origin: Nigeria
Occupation: Writer, director, producer
Years active: 2019–present
