We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Xavier Ighorodje. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Xavier below.

Xavier, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have been fortunate enough to earn a full-time living from my creative work, but it was always not so. I clearly remember 2014 as my hardest year where for more than 8 months, no green light came from the prospective clients I had engaged to do their businesses with and I had to, earlier on in the year, begin a fashion brand (actually a small outfit for customizing shirts and hoodies). Then in the last quarter of that year, I had my first major big break, to write a TV film for a budding network. I got paid less than 50 dollars for that, but I got my first on-screen credit and it made all the difference for me. I was able to leverage that to get a mentor in the industry who asked for a writing sample and I sent three and this kickstarted my journey into writers’ room and story development. And eventually, when a space for a writer opened up on one of the big networks for a 260-episode telenovela, my mentor facilitated my invitation to the room.

This small act was my officially first foray into the world of professional scripted TV writing and within the system, I was able to grow and earn a steady living while building a profile outside of the organized system, as a writer for the big screen – cinema, and also using the funds earned within the system to establish a budding production company named after my favorite African soup -THE OGBONO.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Xavier IGHORODJE, an award-winning Nigerian-born screenwriter and producer resident in both Canada and Nigeria. I am the creator and head writer of the Netflix blockbuster hit TV series – SHANTY TOWN, which was the second most watched Netflix African Original TV series on the continent as at July 2023, the most watched Netflix African Original TV series in Nigeria the same year (with more than 20 million views) as well as the most nominated TV series at the 9th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award same year. With over 5000 minutes of primetime African TV writing to his credit, I have worked on either creating, head writing or story editing 70,000 minutes of story on primetime Nigerian TV, having worked on nearly all of MNET’s Africa Magic Showcase’s hit 260 episodes Telenovela series.

The story of how I got into my industry has been answered in the previous question.

What sets me apart from others is my people skill coupled with my hard work and precision during the discharge of my duties. My proudest moments is being able to give voices to new emerging Nigerian voices within the story telling industry. As a result I am very committed to opening up the market and finding new avenues through which the market can be open up.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As a screenwriter, whether writing for TV or film on the big screen, you are more or less a writer for hire. Most producers do not see you as anything beyond that and in order to be more than this and also to see that the final outcome or finished product of my creative expression is not ruined by producers and directors who do not understand the power of collaboration, I had to pivot into production – specifically SHOW RUNNING. My first step was to leave money on the table offered me to create and head write a TV show and opt for a pay cut in order to showrun it. With this move, I was able to get my first feel of the waters and then after that, I self funded a 5 part TV show – THE ANATOMY OF A PREDATOR, currently in production and armed with these two – I was able to enter the industry of full time commissioned works by the biggest TV network in West Africa.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Pulling funds for my 2nd project is one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life. But I leveraged on the successes of ShantyTown, a Netflix original I had created and handwritten to get some mileage on that front. But even then, every sponsor abandoned me the moment production began – this was very unprecedented and I didn’t know why this happened. I had to resort to family (my mom – God bless mothers) to support me massively, my elder sister, my friends and I had to liquidate all my foreign assets I got from a few international jobs, convert the money to naira – for it to be made. I am still in debt, but I’m sure as soon as I sell the product, all will be well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mrxavierighorodje
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mr-xavier-ighorodje-57922b92/
• Twitter: @xavierighorodje

Image Credits

Photo by Midegraphy