Filmmaker Niyi Fagbemi is gaining recognition for his latest project, Naija in Motion, a visual series that celebrates Nigeria’s culture, landscapes and people. Known for his ability to blend documentary style with cinematic storytelling, Fagbemi is using the series to highlight places and traditions that are often underrepresented in mainstream media.

Capturing Nigeria in Motion

The filmmaker first gained major attention in 2023 when his documentary on the Ojude Oba Festival went viral, amassing more than 100 million views across digital platforms. The success of that project placed him in the spotlight as one of Nigeria’s most promising young documentarians.

With Naija in Motion, Fagbemi is expanding his vision by filming in states such as Cross River and Kwara, producing short but powerful clips that feature waterfalls, forests, markets, and local festivals. Using drone shots, close-ups, and time lapse sequences, he showcases daily life from sunrise to nightfall, offering a fresh perspective on Nigeria’s beauty.

Fagbemi has explained in interviews that his goal is to show Nigeria as it truly is. He emphasizes authenticity by including elders speaking in dialects, children playing in rural communities, and artisans at work with traditional crafts. This approach has attracted praise from both local audiences and international creatives who say his work captures the country’s richness in a unique way.

Projects like Naija in Motion are important because they shift focus away from stereotypes and present Nigeria through its cultural depth, natural landscapes, and diverse people. They also open up opportunities for lesser-known states to be recognized for tourism and cultural heritage. For Fagbemi, it is also a way of building an archive of Nigeria’s evolving story told by Nigerians themselves.