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By Funsho Arogundade
It is a season of major wins for Nigerian filmmaker, Vincent Somtochukwu Okonkwo. For the Nollywood powerhouse producer behind some of the biggest box office hits in recent years, he is back in the spotlight as his latest series, ‘The Covenant’, continues to break records.
The big news? Okonkwo has once again demonstrated his instinct for compelling storytelling and audience appeal as the legendary thespian, Sola Sobowale, has just been nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, AMVCA for her widely-applauded performance in the hit series.
Known for being a hands-on executive involved across key stages of production —from casting decisions to shaping audience-facing strategy— Okonkwo has guided VSL Media, his Nigerian movie production company investing in telling local stories, to three AMVCA nominations in just three years.
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Following the success of his previous films like Wildflower and Passport (starring Mercy Johnson and Jim Iyke), ‘The Covenant’ has emerged as his biggest streaming success yet, maintaining a strong presence on the Netflix Top 10 for over 10 weeks after it was released in December 2025.
“I’ve always believed that passion and business must go hand-in-hand,” Okonkwo shared. “Seeing Sola Sobowale recognised for her commanding role in ‘The Covenant’ is a dream come true. It shows that the industry values quality.”
Behind the scenes, the film’s strong performance also reflects a deliberate and well-executed promotional strategy, driven by a broader team with deep expertise in digital audience engagement and campaign execution. This collaborative approach has helped position ‘The Covenant’ as both a critical and commercial success across platforms. But Okonkwo isn’t slowing down. He has teased that Season 2 will be even bigger and louder. In a move already generating buzz, the producer revealed plans to take the production to South Africa, with a major South African star set to join the cast. While the team celebrates, they also pay tribute to the series’ director, the late Dimeji Ajibola, whose vision helped shape the show into the global hit it is today.
Under Okonkwo’s leadership —supported by a dynamic creative and marketing team— ‘The Covenant’ has grown into a cultural phenomenon, reinforcing the global reach of Nigerian storytelling.
As the AMVCA ceremony approaches, all eyes are on Okonkwo and the VSL Media camp. With a Netflix hit and an award-nominated performance leading the charge, the journey ahead looks even more expansive.
