A Land Apart is an upcoming Nigerian drama directed by Bem Pever and written by Emil Garuba and Echobu Michael Garuba. The film’s tagline is What if Nigeria had never discovered oil? It is set in an alternate version of Nigeria, imagining a country where agriculture, rather than crude oil, became the foundation of its economy and global influence.
The story revolves around Ahura, a powerful agribusiness mogul who has built an enormous agricultural empire based on AX-103, a formula that is credited with saving a continent from famine. His success has established him as one of the most influential men in an alternate Nigeria. However, his empire and legacy come under threat when his secret daughter, Dooshima Bida Ahura, portrayed by Princess Mufeedah, is poised to inherit what he has built.
According to the NIF Summit and an NTA article with the filmmaker, A Land Apart premiered at the Zanzibar International Film Festival on June 27, 2026, where it was recognized as a feature film lasting 120 minutes. The film also won the award for Best Feature Film at ZIFF 2026. The official synopsis for its showcase at Cannes states that Dekera is killed just before a major international trade deal, leaving Dooshima to confront superpowers, a hostile family, and corporate assassins as she fights to secure her inheritance.
Additionally, A Land Apart was selected for the NiFS x CACOP Best of Africa Film Showcase at Cannes.
A Land Apart is a movie that combines family conflict, politics, agriculture, corporate power, and international intrigue to imagine a very different Nigeria. The film features an impressive ensemble cast, including Richard Mofe-Damijo, Daniel Etim Effiong, Sam Dede, Frank Donga, Onyeka Onwenu, Ummi Baba-Ahmed, Adam Garba, Iveren Antiev, Ronya Man, and Preach Bassey.
The film is scheduled to hit Nigerian cinemas nationwide on October 23, 2026, with Nile Entertainment handling its theatrical distribution.
