Popular Anime, Kimetsu No Yaiba (Demon Slayer), found its way into a fireside chat at this year’s RendaCon Animation Festival. Victoria Oga, the head of distribution at FilmOne Entertainment, one of Nigeria’s leading film distribution companies, discussed bridging the anime gap and bringing it to the big screens all across Nigeria. The discussion, moderated by an enthusiastic anime-loving audience, offered rare industry insights into the current state and future potential of anime and animation within Nigeria’s cinematic landscape.

Victoria shed light on FilmOne’s evolving interest in alternative content, especially animation and anime, amidst an increasingly diverse Nigerian film market. While the company has long been a dominant force in Nollywood distribution, its experiments with anime titles like Dragon Ball (2022) and My Hero Academia (2023) have met limited box office success, drawing N8.1 million and N2 million respectively.

Despite these underwhelming numbers, she acknowledged the passion of Nigerian anime fans. “There is definitely a market here,” she said, referencing her visit to a packed anime fan gathering at Landmark Centre. However, Victoria also recognised missteps in positioning and marketing. “We’ve been treating anime like animation meant for kids, scheduling morning showings when the adult fanbase is unavailable,” she admitted.

Victoria revealed that FilmOne is planning to test the waters again, this time with Demon Slayer, a more widely recognised and anticipated anime. She emphasised that anticipation is key: “If there’s buzz around a title, it’s easier to sell.”

However, FilmOne remains cautious about diving into anime production. With Nigeria’s animation market still nascent, the company is prioritising projects that guarantee returns, mostly in comedy, action, and drama. Still, Victoria proposed a creative workaround: using anime-style visuals in Nollywood films, such as animated credits or flashbacks, to subtly integrate the format into mainstream consumption.

The chat also delved into broader industry challenges, most notably, cinema affordability and limited infrastructure. While cinema attendance has risen in early 2025 compared to the previous year, economic inflation and high ticket prices continue to deter audiences. “Nigeria is hard,” she stated candidly, highlighting that a DCI-compliant projector alone now costs between $60,000 and $80,000, making new cinema development a costly venture.

Despite these hurdles, FilmOne remains committed to expanding its reach through strategic pricing models, loyalty schemes, and partnerships. She encouraged anime fans to advocate directly with cinema owners for better screening times and ticket deals.

A poignant moment came when a member of the audience questioned the cultural fit of anime in Nigeria, given its deep Japanese roots. “What is our African equivalent?” he asked, advocating for distinctly Nigerian animated stories rooted in indigenous culture. Studios like Magic Carpet and others are already working in this direction, blending local folklore with modern animation styles.

Ultimately, the Fireside Chat was not just a reflection on missed opportunities but a hopeful call for collaboration. The message was clear: anime in Nigeria may still be niche, but with the right marketing, cultural adaptation, and investment, it has the potential to become a thriving component of the nation’s cinematic future.