Wingonia Ikpi is a Nigerian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and talent manager known for her work behind the scenes in Nollywood. She founded Boxonia Blueprint, a film production and talent management company that develops stories, produces screen content and supports the careers of emerging actors.
Ikpi has worked on productions including Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper, Flawsome and Bank Alert. She later moved into directing, making her feature directorial debut with The Lost Days, a drama that explores love, memory, betrayal and redemption.
Her career reflects a progression from writing stories to managing productions and building a creative business. Through her work, Ikpi has developed an interest in African storytelling, talent development and the systems that help filmmakers bring their ideas to audiences.
Who Is Wingonia Ikpi?
Wingonia Ikpi is a Nigerian filmmaker from Ugep in Cross River State. Her professional roles include screenwriter, film producer, director, casting director and talent manager.
She began developing stories before entering the film industry professionally. Her early interest in writing eventually led her to screenwriting and work on Nigerian television productions. She later gained experience in film production, content development and directing.
Ikpi is the founder of Boxonia Blueprint, which combines film production with talent management. The company aims to develop distinctive African stories while helping actors build sustainable careers in the entertainment industry.
Her work extends beyond producing individual films. She has also explored casting, story development and production planning, giving her experience across several stages of filmmaking.
Wingonia Ikpi’s Education and Early Life
Ikpi grew up in Ugep, Cross River State, an area whose cultural traditions and oral storytelling influenced her interest in stories. She has spoken about growing up around family histories and traditional tales, experiences that helped nurture her imagination.
She later moved to Abuja for her secondary education before studying English and Literary Studies at the University of Calabar. Although she initially considered medicine as a career, she eventually pursued the arts and developed a stronger interest in writing.
During her school years, Ikpi enjoyed telling stories and sharing them with others. That interest continued into adulthood, when she began publishing stories on social media. One of those stories attracted the attention of filmmaker Otoobong Ekpenyong, who helped her develop her screenwriting skills.
Their collaboration led to Eno’s Demons, a short hybrid documentary addressing mental health and suicide. The project became an early milestone in her career and helped introduce her to the practical demands of filmmaking.
How Wingonia Ikpi Started Her Film Career
Ikpi’s early work centred on writing. She developed stories and scripts before moving into television and other screen productions. Her professional experience included work associated with Tinsel and Halita, two Nigerian television productions.
In 2018, she moved to Lagos to pursue more opportunities in the film industry. She continued writing and learning from other filmmakers while building experience in different production environments.
Her work on Eno’s Demons encouraged her to explore filmmaking beyond screenwriting. She eventually wrote, directed and produced Otana, a short horror film released in 2020. The project gave her an opportunity to develop her own creative vision and take responsibility for a production from multiple angles.
In 2021, she joined a filmmaking development programme organised by Native FilmWorks and Michelangelo Productions. The initiative provided training in directing and production and helped her build relationships with other industry professionals.
That experience contributed to her transition into larger productions. She subsequently worked as line producer on Flawsome, a drama series, and Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper, expanding her experience in managing the practical demands of film and television production.
Wingonia Ikpi at FilmOne
Between 2022 and 2023, Ikpi worked as a content development producer at FilmOne Entertainment. The position gave her further exposure to the business and creative processes involved in developing and producing films.
Content development requires more than identifying an interesting story. A project must also be assessed for its audience, creative direction, production requirements and commercial potential. Ikpi’s experience in this role helped broaden her understanding of the decisions that shape a film before cameras begin rolling.
She also worked on Bank Alert, the 2023 crime comedy associated with actor and comedian Okey Bakassi. Ikpi served as a producer on the project, which required the team to refine the story and balance its comedic elements.
The production added another dimension to her career. Her previous line-production work had strengthened her understanding of execution and logistics, while producing Bank Alert required her to engage with the development of the film as a whole.
These experiences helped prepare her for the next stage of her career: building an independent company with its own production and talent development ambitions.
Boxonia Blueprint and Her Business Vision
Ikpi founded Boxonia Blueprint to create a structure that combines filmmaking with talent management. The company began in 2019 and underwent a renewed phase of development in 2024, when she expanded its direction and focus.
Boxonia Blueprint works across areas such as story development, production, post-production, marketing and talent management. This approach reflects Ikpi’s view that the film industry needs more than finished films. It also needs systems that support creative professionals, develop promising talent and help productions reach audiences.
Talent management is an important part of the company’s identity. Rather than focusing only on established stars, Boxonia seeks to work with emerging actors and help them develop their skills and professional opportunities over time.
For Ikpi, this work involves understanding each performer’s strengths and building a plan for growth. A talent management company can help actors make better career decisions, identify suitable projects and develop a consistent professional identity.
The production side of Boxonia Blueprint supports the same broader goal. By developing stories and managing projects, the company creates opportunities for its talent network while pursuing films and other content that can appeal to Nigerian and international audiences.
Wingonia Ikpi Movies and Production Credits
Ikpi’s filmography shows her progression through several production roles, from screenwriting and line production to producing and directing.
Eno’s Demons
Eno’s Demons was one of Ikpi’s earliest significant screenwriting projects. The short hybrid documentary addresses mental health and suicide, using the film format to engage with difficult social issues. The project helped establish her interest in stories that combine personal experiences with broader cultural and social concerns.
Otana (2020)
Otana was a short horror film that Ikpi wrote, directed and produced. It marked an important step in her development because she took responsibility for both the creative and practical aspects of the project. The experience also helped her pursue further training and opportunities in directing.
Flawsome
Ikpi worked as line producer on the first season of Flawsome, a Nigerian drama series. Line production involves coordinating schedules, resources, crew and other operational details required to keep a production moving. The role gave her experience managing a large television project with substantial cast and crew demands.
Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper (2022)
Ikpi served as line producer on Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper, directed by Adebayo Tijani and starring Toyin Abraham. The film draws on Yoruba cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs and themes of deception and revenge.
Ikpi has discussed her interest in the film’s cultural elements, particularly its portrayal of traditions associated with Abeokuta. The project expanded her experience on a major Nollywood production and reflected her interest in stories rooted in African cultural contexts.
Bank Alert (2023)
Ikpi produced Bank Alert, a crime comedy featuring Okey Bakassi. The film’s development required adjustments to its storyline and tone as the team worked to find the right balance between crime and comedy. Her producing role involved working through those creative decisions with the wider production team.
The Lost Days (2025)
The Lost Days marked Ikpi’s feature directorial debut. The drama follows Chisom, a woman in remission after cancer treatment who sets out to reconnect with a former lover and the child she left behind. As she revisits her past, buried secrets complicate her attempt to rebuild those relationships.
The film stars Ifeoma Fafunwa, Bimbo Manuel, Baaj Adebule, Cynthia Clarke and Durotimi Okutagidi. Ikpi developed the project through the First Features Project, an initiative supporting emerging Nigerian filmmakers with production and distribution opportunities.
The film represented a major step in her transition from producing and writing to directing a feature. It also earned her a nomination for Best Debut Feature Film at the 2025 Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Wingonia Ikpi’s Approach to African Storytelling
Ikpi has consistently expressed interest in stories that reflect African cultures and experiences without limiting their appeal to a local audience. Her work on Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper reflects that interest through its engagement with Yoruba traditions and spiritual beliefs.
Her approach also includes stories that explore personal relationships, memory and identity. The Lost Days, for example, centres on a woman confronting the consequences of decisions made earlier in her life. Rather than relying only on spectacle, the film uses emotional conflict to explore the complexity of human relationships.
Through Boxonia Blueprint, Ikpi wants to support stories that feel authentic while remaining accessible to audiences beyond Nigeria. That ambition requires attention to both creative expression and the practical considerations of production, marketing and distribution.
Her career illustrates how different roles within filmmaking can inform one another. Screenwriting helps her understand story structure, producing develops her organisational skills, and directing allows her to guide the creative interpretation of a project.
Conclusion
Wingonia Ikpi has built a career across screenwriting, production, directing and talent management. From her early work on Eno’s Demons and Otana to larger productions such as Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper, Flawsome and Bank Alert, she has steadily expanded her experience in Nollywood.
Through Boxonia Blueprint, she is building a business that brings film production and talent development together. Her feature directorial debut, The Lost Days, marked another important stage in that journey and earned recognition at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Ikpi’s career highlights the work that happens behind the camera and the importance of creating structures that support filmmakers and performers. As she develops Boxonia Blueprint and pursues new projects, her focus remains on producing meaningful African stories and helping creative talent grow.
