Damilola Yewande Osikoya is a Nigerian film producer, event production professional, entrepreneur and director. She is the founder of Switch Visuals Productions and Voyage Quest Travels, two businesses that reflect her interests in creative production, travel and business development.
She gained wider public attention in September 2026 when she helped organise the record-breaking screening of Black Market at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. The event attracted 51,258 verified attendees and earned Guinness World Records recognition for the largest attendance at a film screening.
Osikoya’s work on the event went beyond organising a film premiere. She coordinated the commercial partnerships, funding arrangements and operational requirements needed to bring tens of thousands of people together for one screening. Her career also includes film production, advertising, music videos and directing.
Damilola Osikoya’s Early Life and Education
Osikoya grew up in Ibadan, Oyo State, an environment she has described as rich in culture, history, literature, music and artistic expression. Her interest in storytelling developed through observing people, their conversations and the experiences that shape their behaviour.
She studied Economics at Lead City University and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Although her academic background was in economics, her professional interests eventually expanded into business management, travel and creative production.
Her experience in business gave her practical knowledge of operations, planning, customer relations and managing complex projects. These skills later became useful in film production, where creative ideas must work within budgets, schedules and organisational structures.
From Travel Business to Film Production
Before establishing herself in Nollywood, Osikoya built a career in the travel industry through Voyage Quest Travels. Running the company gave her experience in managing operations, developing partnerships and coordinating services for clients.
She eventually returned to an interest in visual storytelling that had remained important to her. Rather than abandoning her business experience, she applied its lessons to the creative industry.
This led to the establishment of Switch Visuals Productions, a company that works across commercials, music videos and film production. The business provided a structure through which she could develop creative projects and collaborate with other professionals.
Her move into filmmaking was therefore not simply a change of profession. It combined her entrepreneurial experience with a long-standing interest in stories, visual culture and human behaviour.
Damilola Osikoya’s Movies and Production Work
Osikoya has built a growing production portfolio through Switch Visuals. Her film-related credits include The Wedding Guest, A Weekend Fiasco, Evi and Black Market.
In 2025, she executive-produced The Wedding Guest, a feature directed by Uyoyou Adia. The project marked an important step in her company’s feature-film activities.
She later produced A Weekend Fiasco, a drama-comedy that opened in Nigerian cinemas in September 2025. The film features actors including Ini Edo, Alexx Ekubo, Yvonne Jegede, Odunlade Adekola and Chimezie Imo.
Another significant project is Evi, a female-led musical drama produced by Osikoya alongside Judith Audu. The film follows a talented singer who faces a major setback in her music career and must rebuild her life. Its cinema release in March 2026 expanded her production work into a genre that remains relatively uncommon in Nollywood’s commercial market.
These projects demonstrate her interest in producing stories across different genres while developing the operational capacity of her production company.
Damilola Osikoya and the Black Market Guinness World Record
Osikoya’s most widely publicised production achievement came through Black Market, a Nigerian crime thriller directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Nora Awolowo of Rixel Studios.
On September 26, 2026, the production and event teams organised a large-scale screening at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. The event attracted 51,258 verified attendees, setting a Guinness World Records title for the largest attendance at a film screening.
Osikoya served as the Event Production Producer through Switch Visuals Productions, which worked with Rixel Studios on the record attempt. Her responsibilities included securing commercial partners, developing the event budget and coordinating the operational arrangements required to deliver the screening.
The scale of the event presented challenges beyond those of a conventional cinema premiere. The organisers had to coordinate a large venue, audience movement, security, technical arrangements, sponsors and other partners. Every part of the operation had to work within a single event window.
The Guinness recognition brought international attention to the production team and demonstrated the capacity of Nigerian creative professionals to organise large-scale entertainment events.
It also highlighted the importance of the business and operational work behind film releases. While audiences see the finished film and the public event, producers and event production teams manage the many arrangements that make such experiences possible.
Damilola Osikoya’s Directorial Debut with Macchiato
Osikoya has also expanded her work into directing. Her directorial debut is Macchiato, a short dark comedy inspired by her observations of human behaviour and personal experiences.
The film explores the contradictions that emerge in everyday relationships and situations. Osikoya was drawn to the project because it allowed her to examine how people interpret the same events differently.
Her transition into directing gave her another way to participate in storytelling. While producing involves managing the resources and people required to complete a project, directing requires a more direct responsibility for performances, visual choices and the interpretation of the story.
Macchiato received recognition at international film events, including the New Wave Cinema Awards and New York Shorts Awards in 2026. Its selection for the New York International Film Awards also introduced the short film to a wider festival audience.
The project represents a new phase of her creative career, allowing her to move from managing productions to shaping stories from behind the camera.
Damilola Osikoya’s Approach to Filmmaking
Osikoya is interested in stories that explore the complexity of human experiences, particularly the lives of women. She has spoken about wanting to create female characters who can be ambitious, vulnerable, flawed, humorous and complicated rather than limited to familiar stereotypes.
Her business experience also influences how she approaches film production. She believes the industry needs stronger financing structures, reliable distribution pathways and sustainable systems that support creative professionals.
She has highlighted the importance of partnerships and institutional support in developing productions. For her, a film’s success should not depend only on its opening weekend performance. Audience connection, cultural relevance and the ability to reach viewers across different platforms also matter.
Conclusion
Damilola Osikoya has built a career that connects entrepreneurship, travel, film production and directing. Through Voyage Quest Travels and Switch Visuals Productions, she has developed experience in business management and creative projects, including The Wedding Guest, A Weekend Fiasco and Evi.
Her role as Event Production Producer for the Black Market screening brought her wider recognition after 51,258 people attended the event at Tafawa Balewa Square in September 2026. She has also begun developing her identity as a director through the short film Macchiato.
Her career reflects a combination of business experience and creative ambition, with an expanding role in the organisation and production of Nigerian screen entertainment.
