Who Is Derin Adeyokunnu?
Derin Adeyokunnu is a Nigerian film producer, entrepreneur and creative technology professional best known as the co-founder and Art and Technology Director of Nemsia Studios. He has helped develop the production company into a recognised name in Nollywood through feature films, television series and partnerships with international streaming platforms.
His production credits include Banana Island Ghost, God Calling, A Green Fever, Breath of Life, With Difficulty Comes Ease and Soft Love. Through these projects, Adeyokunnu has contributed to Nigerian productions across comedy, drama, supernatural stories and other genres.
Adeyokunnu approaches filmmaking through a combination of creative development, production strategy and technology. His background in engineering informs his interest in finding practical ways to improve film production without compromising the quality of the finished work.
His career also reflects a wider ambition to make Nigerian stories accessible to audiences beyond the country. Nemsia Studios’ partnership with Amazon Prime Video marked an important step in that direction, creating opportunities for the company to develop films for international streaming audiences.
Derin Adeyokunnu’s Education and Early Interests
Adeyokunnu studied at Purdue University in the United States, where he pursued a degree in Multimedia Engineering through the university’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies programme. He created the degree to combine engineering with multimedia and creative technology, reflecting his interest in working across different disciplines.
His educational choices shaped his approach to filmmaking. Rather than treating cinema solely as an artistic pursuit, he became interested in how technology, design and production systems could support better storytelling.
That combination became particularly relevant when he began developing films with BB Sasore. Their shared interest in creating distinctive Nigerian stories helped shape the direction of Nemsia Studios.
Adeyokunnu has also spoken about the importance of curiosity, experimentation and collaboration in creative work. He encourages aspiring filmmakers to start projects with the resources available to them instead of waiting for perfect conditions.
How Derin Adeyokunnu Started Nemsia Studios
Adeyokunnu co-founded Nemsia Studios with filmmaker BB Sasore. The business began in 2009 as an advertising agency before expanding into feature-film production in 2013. Its early work in advertising gave the founders experience in visual storytelling and commercial production.
One of the company’s first major television projects was Before 30, a series that began airing on Africa Magic in 2015. The production helped establish Nemsia in the Nigerian entertainment industry and created a foundation for its later film projects.
Nemsia subsequently produced titles such as Banana Island Ghost and God Calling. These projects helped the company expand its range and build relationships with actors, writers, directors and other professionals working in Nollywood.
As a co-founder and executive producer, Adeyokunnu contributes to the business and production decisions that support the company’s projects. His role also includes exploring how technology and creative workflows can improve the production process.
Derin Adeyokunnu Movies and Production Credits
Adeyokunnu has worked on several notable Nigerian film and television projects. His responsibilities vary by production, so his work as an executive producer should be distinguished from projects where another producer handled the day-to-day production.
Before 30
Before 30 was one of Nemsia’s early television successes. The series follows four professional women navigating relationships, career expectations and the pressure to marry before turning 30.
The programme began airing on Africa Magic in 2015 and helped introduce the company’s work to a broad Nigerian audience. Its popularity also established a foundation for the studio’s later expansion into feature films.
Banana Island Ghost
Released in 2017, Banana Island Ghost is a Nigerian comedy about a ghost who has a limited time to find love and fulfil a personal mission. The film combines comedy, romance and supernatural elements.
Nemsia produced the film, with Adeyokunnu involved in the company’s production leadership. The project demonstrated the studio’s interest in commercial cinema and stories designed to appeal to local audiences.
God Calling
God Calling, released in 2018, is a faith-based drama directed by BB Sasore. The film follows a woman whose life changes after a personal tragedy and explores faith, grief and purpose.
Adeyokunnu’s work with Nemsia helped bring the project to audiences through the company’s expanding film catalogue. The production also showed the studio’s willingness to work across different genres rather than focus on comedy alone.
Breath of Life
Breath of Life is one of the most prominent productions associated with Adeyokunnu and Nemsia Studios. The drama, written and directed by BB Sasore, explores faith, loss, friendship and purpose through the story of a man whose life takes an unexpected turn.
Adeyokunnu served as an executive producer, while Eku Edewor produced the film. It stars Wale Ojo, Chimezie Imo, Genoveva Umeh and Ademola Adedoyin, among others.
The film arrived on Amazon Prime Video in December 2023 as part of the streaming platform’s collaboration with Nemsia. At the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Breath of Life won Best Movie and several other awards.
Its success brought additional attention to Nemsia Studios and demonstrated the potential of Nigerian productions developed for international streaming platforms.
A Green Fever
A Green Fever is a thriller about a realtor and his sick daughter who seek refuge in a mysterious mansion after a medical emergency. Their stay exposes unsettling secrets and places them in an increasingly dangerous situation.
Adeyokunnu served as an executive producer alongside Bodunrin Sasore, while Emiolamide Fagbenle handled production. The film reflects Nemsia’s interest in suspense-driven storytelling and genre filmmaking.
With Difficulty Comes Ease
With Difficulty Comes Ease is a Nigerian drama released on Amazon Prime Video in 2024. The film explores personal struggles and the challenges people face while pursuing meaningful relationships and a better future.
Adeyokunnu served as an executive producer. The project formed part of Nemsia’s continuing output for streaming audiences and demonstrated the company’s range beyond its earlier theatrical productions.
Soft Love
Soft Love, released in 2024, is another Nemsia production associated with Adeyokunnu. The romantic drama stars Efa Iwara and Cindy Mahlangu and explores relationships, emotional expectations and the complications of modern love.
The film expanded the company’s catalogue of contemporary Nigerian stories and strengthened its presence on streaming platforms.
Derin Adeyokunnu and the Amazon Prime Video Deal
In June 2022, Nemsia Studios announced an exclusive deal with Amazon Prime Video to develop three feature films. The agreement marked a significant opportunity for the Nigerian production company to create films for a global streaming audience.
Breath of Life was the first announced project under the deal. Its later success at the 2024 AMVCA demonstrated the reach that a Nigerian production could achieve through international distribution and industry recognition.
The partnership also reflected Adeyokunnu’s interest in taking Nigerian stories beyond the local market. For Nemsia, working with an international platform created a structured opportunity to develop and distribute original productions.
The agreement did not remove the challenges involved in filmmaking. Adeyokunnu has identified funding as one of the major difficulties facing Nigerian producers, particularly when they need patient investment to develop ambitious projects.
He has also emphasised the importance of local investors in making Nollywood more sustainable. His position reflects the need for production companies to build financial support within Nigeria while exploring international partnerships.
Derin Adeyokunnu’s Approach to Film Production
Adeyokunnu believes that technology should support storytelling rather than become an end in itself. During the production of Breath of Life, the team used a Blackmagic camera setup instead of a more expensive camera system, allowing resources to go toward production design, the art department and post-production.
The decision illustrates his approach to production planning. Film budgets require careful choices, and producers must determine which investments will make the greatest difference to the finished film.
He also values collaboration across creative departments. At Nemsia, he and Sasore encourage team members to share ideas, experiment with different approaches and learn from projects that do not work as planned.
This approach has helped the company build a production model that combines creative ambition with practical decision-making. It also reflects Adeyokunnu’s belief that Nigerian filmmakers can compete internationally by investing in strong stories, skilled teams and effective production methods.
Conclusion
Derin Adeyokunnu has helped shape modern Nollywood through his work as a producer, entrepreneur and co-founder of Nemsia Studios. His career combines engineering and creative technology with film production, giving him a distinctive approach to developing Nigerian stories for cinema and streaming audiences.
From Before 30 and Banana Island Ghost to Breath of Life, A Green Fever and Soft Love, his work spans different genres and production formats. The Amazon Prime Video deal further expanded Nemsia’s reach, while the success of Breath of Life demonstrated the potential of Nigerian films to achieve major recognition.
Adeyokunnu’s story is ultimately one of building a production company through collaboration, experimentation and a long-term commitment to African storytelling. His work continues to contribute to the development of Nollywood as both a creative industry and a business.
