FilmHouse co-founder Moses Babatope may quit group for new opportunities

Moses Babatope, Co-Founder of FilmHouse Group, may be leaving the organisation to pursue other opportunities, inside source has confirmed.

Babatope has contributed to build FilmHouse as one of West Africa’s largest Cinema Chain and fastest growing organisations since its establishment in 2012. FilmHouse was originally founded by Kenechukwu Mkparu, with Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa as co-founders to fill the gap in the Cinema market.

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According to the source, the expected departure of Babatope is not unconnected with differences in the management of the group especially between co-founders bordering more on leadership styles.

This tension came to limelight recently, with the announcement to the staff, indicating that one of the managing directors at the company may end up stepping down to pursue a new path in the industry, according to the source. When contacted, Babatope declined comment.

Babatope’s hands-on approach and focus on innovation has garnered industry accolades particularly as his achievements, such as the expansion of FilmOne Entertainment and major distribution deals, have elevated his profile within Nollywood, the source said.

“This insider perspectives provide a glimpse into the complex dynamics at play within one of Nollywood’s leading companies, highlighting the challenges of managing growth and ambition in the African cinema industry”, the source said.

In 2012, Kenechukwu Mkparu founded, Filmhouse, along with Okwuosa and Babatope as co-founders, after securing a loan from the Bank of Industry, a Nigerian development finance institution, according to media reports.

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The report said by December 2012, the company kicked off with a three-screen cinema in the Surulere neighbourhood of Lagos. That one location has mushroomed into 12 cinemas in six states. By 2018, Filmhouse became the largest cinema chain in Nigeria and the third largest in Africa, the report further said.