Mysterious Tech Studio’s Yoruba science-fiction film Àsírí Ilú Àwọn Òṣú (Mystery of Osu Land), made with AI for roughly 80% of its visuals, drew unexpectedly high demand at its October 5, 2026, global premiere, overwhelming the Docuth streaming platform.

The film points to AI’s potential to lower barriers to ambitious filmmaking, helping creators build characters, settings and scenes without depending entirely on conventional equipment, crews, locations and large budgets.

But producing AI video still takes more than typing prompts: creators write scripts, develop scenes, generate images or clips, preserve character continuity, and edit in voiceovers, music and sound effects with tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Google Flow, CapCut and ElevenLabs.

The workload varies widely: Lagos-based creator Jessica George says a three-minute video can take 24 to 48 hours, while Nana Aisha Audu says a two-minute episode takes about four hours.

Filmmaker Malik Afegbua uses tools such as Midjourney, Nano Banana, Kling, Luma and Seedance alongside conventional editing software, real actors and traditional production when appropriate; he sees AI as an extension of filmmaking, not a replacement.

The audience for AI-made video is already substantial: a December 2025 study found that 278 fully AI-generated YouTube channels had amassed 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers worldwide, while Nigerian creators are gaining followers and monetising their channels.

Creators can earn by making advertisements, product demonstrations, promotional videos and social media content for businesses, or by working as independent contractors or running small AI video studios.

Yet the premiere’s streaming outage underscores a separate challenge: creators need reliable infrastructure to deliver their work to audiences, including viewers outside Nigeria.