Chioma Ude

Known as “The First Lady of African Media,” Chioma Ude is one of Africa’s most successful business leaders and media executives, having cofounded Envivo and Lavida Studios, a multimedia production company, and created AFRIFF (Africa International Film Festival), for which she still serves as executive director. A serial entrepreneur focused on new opportunities to improve the narrative about Africa, her endeavors are based on her belief that training and empowering young individuals, especially young women, will foster a greater, brighter Africa.

Chioma Ude is the first female organizer of a film festival in Nigeria. Under her vision and tireless efforts, the privately funded AFRIFF has grown into the largest film festival in Africa. Going into its 14th year in 2025, AFRIFF has become an important venue on the international festival circuit, attracting an average of 30,000 international and domestic participants. Just as important, AFRIFF has trained over 10,000 young adults in film and television through beginner, intermediate, and masterclasses with mentors from Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. These classes are provided during festivals free of charge as part of Ude’s mission to empower Africa’s youth and re-establish Africa’s significance as the original birth home of civilization and indeed, the last frontier for unique film stories and content.

In 2025, she expanded this vision by launching the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM)—a first-of-its-kind platform in West Africa that connects filmmakers, investors, buyers, and policymakers across more than 30 countries and four continents. The AFCM strengthens the business side of African storytelling, positioning creative content as a driver of trade, investment, and cultural diplomacy.