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The daughters of the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola have launched a sponsorship drive to take MKO, a documentary about their father’s life and legacy, to young Nigerians across the country.
Tundun Abiola joined her sisters, Ayobami Abiola and Bolanle Akande, to sponsor a screening at Filmhouse Cinemas in Lagos, marking the start of an initiative aimed at expanding access to the film for students, women’s groups and communities nationwide.
Directed by Ose Oyamendan, MKO chronicles Abiola’s life and place in Nigeria’s history, offering younger audiences an opportunity to engage with the struggles and sacrifices that shaped the country’s democratic journey.
The sponsorship is expected to support the documentary’s wider distribution beyond its cinema run. Producer Veronique Bernard said the daughters’ intervention marked the beginning of a broader campaign to encourage individuals, institutions and governments to fund screenings across Nigeria.
“The goal really is to have institutions, individuals and governments at all levels come in and get this film to all corners of Nigeria. The President, the First Lady and senior government officials were at the premiere in Lagos, and I’m sure they will want to help get it to all parts of Nigeria,” she said.
“Our director, Ose, actually had a very engaging discussion about it with the very progressive first lady in Lagos where she really pushed for the screenings. I believe the Nigerian leadership owes that to history. We’re just happy the Abiola daughters are able to kick this off.”
The campaign has also extended to students of Baptist Boys’ High School, Abeokuta, Abiola’s alma mater. The screening was sponsored by Doyinsola Abiola-Tobun, daughter of the late former editor-in-chief of the Concord Group of newspapers, Doyin Abiola.
According to the organisers, the sponsorship was designed to reconnect students with their school’s distinguished past, deepen their understanding of its place in Nigeria’s history and help bridge gaps in historical knowledge.
Alongside the sponsorship initiative, the documentary is being shown at cinemas in Lagos and other parts of the country. The distributor’s list includes EbonyLife Cinemas, Victoria Island; Ozone Cinemas, Yaba; Silverbird, Ikeja; Nile x Viva, Ikeja; Covenant Plus, Ile Ipo; Covenant Plus, Abule Egba; and Ojaja, Lagos.
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Other listed Lagos venues include Filmhouse Landmark, Filmhouse Twinwater and Silverbird Galleria.
Outside Lagos, venues include Sandford, Ekpoma; Kada, Benin; Silverbird, Jabi; Nile, Enugu; Nile x Viva, Enugu; Nile, Port Harcourt; Nile x Viva, Ilorin; Starlite, Kwara; and Azers, Ogun.
Also listed are Afemai Wondercity, identified as Uchi Cinema; Bonny Consulate; Banex; Box Office Garden City; Hybrid Height; OOPL Obanta; Filmboxx; MCrystal; The Jays; and Nile THC Cinemax.
Early audience reactions, cited by the organisers, suggest that the documentary is prompting viewers to reflect on Nigeria’s political history.
“It is moving, wonderful and very well done,” one viewer said.
News anchor Ojy Okpe described the film as “very informative” and “very revealing,” saying it highlighted aspects of Nigeria’s history that many people had taken for granted. She urged patriotic Nigerians to see it.
The organisers said individuals and institutions were already engaging the distributors to arrange screenings for selected audiences. They encouraged schools, universities, corporate organisations, public institutions and community groups to participate.
They expressed hope that broader access to the documentary would preserve an important chapter of Nigeria’s history while encouraging conversations about democracy, civic responsibility and the experiences that shaped the nation.
