How I built YouTube film empire, film that changed everything — Omoni Oboli

She shares insights on navigating digital distribution, sustaining audience interest, and adapting storytelling for a changing viewing culture.

Nigerian actress and producer Omoni Oboli has spoken about her journey to building a successful film empire on YouTube.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES at a training programme introducing creators to Flow, an AI-powered filmmaking tool developed by Google, Oboli said, “I was very intentional from the beginning. One, I was intentional about building a community because, as humans, we always want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. I wanted a community that was centred on love, on just peace and togetherness. So I made sure to carry my audience along from the start. I made sure they knew that they were part of this channel.

“They weren’t just coming here to watch movies. They were part of it. They could suggest things. They could talk. So my community is very vibrant. We’re always having conversations. People are suggesting different things. People are saying what they like and what they don’t. That is real-time data. That helps us to make our movies better.”

The film that changed everything

Furthermore, the 47-year-old also pointed to a defining project she believes marked a turning point in her career.

The mother of three reflected on “Love In Every World” parts one and two, the films that endeared her to a wide audience across Nigeria.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the productions, released between March and October 2025, gained traction on social media and sparked conversations around love, connection and on-screen chemistry.

The films featured actress and former BBNaija star Bamike “Bam Bam” Olawunmi, actor Uzor Arukwe, among others.

She added that neither she nor the cast and crew anticipated the overwhelming reception, admitting they were genuinely taken aback by the level of acceptance the films received.

“To be honest, we knew it was going to be successful because part 1 was successful, and people were asking for a sequel. So we knew they would definitely watch it if we did a sequel. Love in Every World 2.

“We had a bigger cast. We had locations and this and that. But we still managed to get that shoot done in 8 or 9 days. It wasn’t so bad. The wedding alone took one day. We didn’t do anything else that day. That day was just the wedding scene that we shot. From morning till night”, she said.

YouTube

Oboli, who earned international recognition at the Harlem International Film Festival and the Los Angeles Movie Awards for her performance in “Anchor Baby”, revealed that her move into YouTube was far from impulsive.

She explained that she had been considering the platform for over a decade before finally leaping.

The scriptwriter noted that, at the early stage, her team produced between eight and ten films before releasing their first project online.

She added that production did not slow down after that initial release.

Instead, she noted they continued filming consistently, even while sitting on a catalogue of eight to ten unreleased titles.

The actress said, “Somehow it just never happened. And then in 2019, I decided, okay, let me do it. And I started shooting some movies, and we were still shooting in 2020 when COVID struck. And somehow, COVID sort of just discombobulated our lives, and I just never got around to even making new movies or releasing those movies until 2 years ago.

“We do take breaks, so that the crew can breathe and see their family. When we’re on set, they can’t even see their family because they’re working back-to-back. Because we’re constantly shooting, we always have films on hand.”

Profit

She stated that every project she and her team undertook was driven not only by the need to make a profit, but also by a strong sense of responsibility.

She added that while financial returns remained important, her greatest fulfilment came from creating opportunities and generating employment through filmmaking.

“There are people right now whose bread and butter is my channel. That’s how they feed, that’s how their kids go to school, that’s how they pay their rent. Because we release movies every week, my crew is constantly working.

“They’re constantly working, they’re constantly fed. You say you release films every week. Every Friday. All are original stories”, said the Edo-born.

Romantic films

Oboli, who began her film career in 1996 with Bitter Encounter, in which she played a secretary, explained that her focus on romantic films stems from a simple belief: the world can be a very difficult place. People often need stories that offer comfort and hope.

With several screenplays to her name, including “Wives on Strike” and “The Rivals”, Oboli said, “People already have problems and issues in real life. We want to watch a movie, relax, let our heads down, put our feet up, giggle and feel good.

“After a hard week, you don’t want to come and watch somebody crying from morning to night. So we do have a drama channel. We’ve not been as consistent with it as a romance channel. I’m not going to lie.”