By Ogova Ondego
Published February 24, 2024
Iwájú, an all-new original animated series is set to air across across Africa in April and May 2024 following its exclusive streaming on Disney+ on February 28, 2024, giving viewers across the continent an opportunity to view the series in territories where Disney+ is not available.
“We created Iwájú as a love letter to Lagos, Nigeria, and an ode to the rich legacy of African storytelling,” says Director Olufikayo Ziki Adeola of the series created from the collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studios of USA and Kugali of Nigeria.”We’re proud to share this series and hope that it inspires more Africans across the world to share their stories and shape our collective narrative.”
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“Iwájú is a true celebration of the creativity and storytelling excellence that is at the heart of Disney, bringing the immense talent and creative vision of home-grown filmmakers to the world,” says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa. “With the distribution of the series on Disney Channel, the release of the Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef mobile game and the Iwaju Original Soundtrack Score, we are excited to give audiences across Africa the chance to experience this ambitious and uniquely innovative series.”
Iwájú is an original animated series set in a futuristic Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, and tells the exciting coming-of-age story of Tola, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, Kole, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.
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Also premiering February 28 on Disney+ is Iwájú: A Day Ahead, a documentary special filmed across three continents that shares the story of the founders of Kugali, who made their dream a reality creating an original animation series with Walt Disney Animation Studios. Created by the ABC News Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios team that brought you Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2, the documentary shows anything is possible when talent meets opportunity. The documentary is directed by Megan Harding and executive-produced by Amy Astley and Beth Hoppe.
