Cyprian Ekwensi's Passport of Mallam Ilia is being turned into an animated movie

The animation is inspired by the classic book which was written by Cyprian Ekwensi in 1948 and published in 1960.

Passport-of-Mallam-Ilia Mind Adventures

The Passport of Mallam Ilia is a classic story of love, adventure and retribution, way ahead of its time. Set in colonial Kano, the story follows a man Mallam Ilia who spent a greater part of his life seeking revenge on Mallam Usman for the death of his wife, Zarah. Though he was able to avenge the wrong done to him, it came at a very high price. This novel explores themes of trust, betrayal and revenge.

passport of mallam ilia Zumi.ng

In June, executive producer and CEO of Magic Carpet Studios, Mr Ferdinand Adimefe told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that they had acquired full rights of the book from HEBN PLC Publishers.

He said: "The animated movie project aims to connect the younger generation with the older one. The Passport of Mallam Ilia is one of the most widely read young adult novels of the late ’90s. It will provide an exciting twist to an already familiar story while exposing the younger generation to the remarkable work of the late iconic writer. It consolidates on efforts in telling authentic African stories, especially through animation."

See the trailer of the upcoming animation.

In November, Magic Carpet Studios organised a meetup, "Journey to Ilia", in collaboration with Zamari TV, Book hangout Tribe, Roving Heights to discuss the book and have a panel discussion on the journey to the making of the movie.