A villager goes to London to collect his brother’s fortune: why Osuofia in London is still Nollywood’s favourite comedy

A man in a traditional cap and wrapper stands in the middle of London, arguing with everyone he meets. That image made Osuofia in London one of the most loved comedies in African film.

The film, released in 2003, stars Nkem Owoh as Osuofia, a poor, loud and stubborn villager from eastern Nigeria. When his brother dies in London, leaving a fortune, Osuofia travels to Britain to claim it. Kingsley Ogoro directed the film, which was shot partly in London.

The story

Osuofia’s brother has left his estate to his family, and Osuofia sets out to collect it. In London, the villager meets his brother’s English fiancée, Samantha, who has her own plans for the money. The comedy comes from Osuofia’s clash with British manners, his misunderstandings of city life and his refusal to be intimidated by anyone.

The film plays on stereotypes on both sides: of the naive African in the West and of the scheming foreigner. Osuofia turns out to be sharper than he looks.

Nkem Owoh

Nkem Owoh was already known for comedy roles when the film came out, and Osuofia made him a household name across Africa. The character became so popular that many fans still call him Osuofia. He followed with a sequel, Osuofia in London 2, in 2004.

Owoh is also known for the 2005 song “I Go Chop Your Dollar”, a satirical song about advance fee fraudsters from another film, The Master. The song became a hit and was widely discussed for its subject matter.

Nollywood’s reach

Osuofia in London arrived when Nollywood films were sold on VHS and VCD in markets across West Africa and the diaspora. The film circulated in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, the Caribbean and Britain, and scenes from it are still shared online as memes and clips.

It was one of the first Nollywood films to be shot partly in Europe, and its success encouraged other producers to film abroad.

Why it lasts

The humour of Osuofia is broad, but the film touches on real questions: the gap between Africans at home and relatives abroad, what money does to families and how Africans are seen in the West.

Two decades later, Nigerians still quote his lines. When someone arrives somewhere unfamiliar and refuses to adjust, friends still ask whether Osuofia has landed.