First Trailer Drops for 'The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives' Ahead of Toronto World Premiere

The first trailer for The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives arrived on 4 August, ahead of the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film adapts Lola Shoneyin's 2010 novel of the same name and is directed by Daniel Oriahi. (Deadline)
The story is set inside a polygamous household, where the arrival of Bolanle, the youngest wife, unsettles a fragile equilibrium and surfaces secrets long kept buried. The film is told predominantly in Yoruba — a choice producer Mo Abudu said was made to preserve authenticity.
The cast is a roll-call of Nollywood names. Odunlade Adekola, Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Ademoye and Omowunmi Dada lead the ensemble. Supporting roles go to Nkechi Blessing, Bimbo Manuel, Bisola Aiyeola, Olarotimi Fakunle, Constance Olatunde and Maleek Sanni. Special appearances fill out the frame: Daniel Etim-Effiong, Kunle Remi, Uzor Arukwe, Tina Mba, Nancy Isime, Blessing Nze, Mike Ezuruonye, Bolaji Ogunmola and Binta Mogaji. (Deadline)
The film is produced by EbonyLife Films in partnership with Genesis Media Group, Nile Media Entertainment Group and Silverbird Group. Moses Babatope, CEO of Nile Entertainment Group, said the film was selected by TIFF from more than 9,000 submissions — a detail that places the premiere in context: Toronto's programming team winnows a vast field down to a slim slate each year, and a Yoruba-language Nigerian production clearing that bar is a meaningful signal for the reach of African cinema.
EbonyLife Films, the production company behind titles including The Wedding Party, Chief Daddy, Blood Sisters, Òlòtūré, Elesin Oba and Dust to Dreams, was the first production company on the African continent to enter a multi-title creative partnership with Netflix. That streaming deal gave the Lagos-based outfit a distribution pipeline into global households; Baba Segi's Wives now adds a festival-platform launch on top of the company's commercial track record.
EbonyLife is also expanding its exhibition footprint. EbonyLife Cinemas is scheduled to open in the UK in October 2026, roughly two months before The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives reaches screens on 4 December across Nigeria and additional international territories including the UK. The timing lines the film's release up with the new cinema chain's launch window — a distribution play that lets the company open the film in its own theatres rather than relying solely on third-party screens.
For audiences, the trailer offers a first look at a story that has been circulating in print since 2010 and is now moving from page to screen with a cast and production apparatus built to carry it well beyond Nigeria's borders.


