Mr. Ziki Nelson

Ziki (Olufikayo Adeola) Nelson is an award-winning international filmmaker, entrepreneur, co-founder, and outgoing CEO of Kugali Media, the African-based media company created in 2017, which publishes African comics from all across the continent and promotes African storytelling through augmented reality, comics, animation, and games. He is currently writing and directing, in collaboration with Walt Disney Animation Studios, the original long-form, science fiction-themed streaming animated series “Iwaju,” set to debut on Disney+ in 2022. Ziki is based in London, but production on the series involves talent working remotely from Nigeria, Uganda, London, Montreal, and Burbank.

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Ziki spent the last couple of years of his childhood in the United Kingdom. He studied creative writing at City University in London, where he found guidance and a community within the entrepreneurship team, and where he wrote his first screenplay. Authoring his first graphic novel “Iku” was the next milestone on his road to success. Among his earliest influences were cartoons, comics, and Disney Animation. He found the soundtracks and scores for Disney films resonated with him and proved to be inspirational in his creative process throughout his career. Adding to his desire to become a storyteller was a love of manga and anime, particularly shows like “Dragon Ball Z” and “Naruto.” Also fueling his imagination were such manga series comics as Fullmetal Alchemist and Berserk, which showed him what was possible in terms of storytelling through art and animation, and shaped his own creative vision as a storyteller.

Ziki joined his childhood friend Tolu Olowofoyeku, along with Hamid Ibrahim, in co-founding Kugali, a fledgling media company with the goal of creating a platform to provide millions of fans with stories inspired by African culture using animation, art, virtual and augmented reality. It began modestly in 2015 with a weekly podcast on Geek Culture (called Tao of Otaku) and launched more formally in 2017. A curated website showcasing the best art, comics, gaming, and animation from the African continent followed. Soon after, they began to produce their own comics, including Oro and Iku. A Kugali anthology, the first-ever African comic book of its kind, featuring science fiction and fantasy stories from across the African continent, proved to be a huge success. The next project was to create a mobile app, making the comics more accessible and allowing them to delve into the augmented reality space. Kugali became the official lens for Snapchat, where their augmented reality filters have received more than 50 million views, over 42 million plays, and more than 2 million shares.

When Jennifer Lee, Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios, first became aware of Kugali through a BBC story about the company’s desire to take on Disney, she was “blown away by their storytelling” and felt their vision dovetailed with her own philosophy about filmmaking.

Ziki recalls being a bit skeptical at first when Disney came calling. Previous discussions with other potential partners/collaborators failed to produce any tangible results. He observes, “Things with Disney seemed to be different, and so I eventually allowed myself to embrace the possibility that my dream of becoming a storyteller was about to take a huge leap forward, and my faith was ultimately rewarded when I was given the opportunity to come and work on ‘Iwaju.’”

Ziki is grateful to his father for always pushing him to do his best, and for his endless support. He also acknowledges his sisters for believing in his dreams. KOKOU is his newest African graphic novel and the world’s first Bonzo novel.