Jason Njoku

Jason Njoku: Nigerian Entrepreneur and Co-founder of IrokoTV Jason Njoku (born December 11, 1980) is a British-Nigerian entrepreneur, investor, and film enthusiast, most widely recognized as the co-founder and CEO of IrokoTV, the world's largest digital distributor of Nollywood movies. Njoku's pioneering efforts in distributing Nigerian content globally via the internet earned him recognition as a key figure in digitizing African entertainment. Early Life and Education Njoku was born and raised in Deptford, South East London, United Kingdom. He spent his childhood living with his mother, as his father left when he was seven years old. For his higher education, Njoku attended the University of Manchester, graduating with a degree in Chemistry in 2005. Following graduation, Njoku attempted several business ventures that were ultimately unsuccessful before finding his major breakthrough in media distribution. Career Progression The genesis of Njoku’s entrepreneurial success began in 2010 when he moved back to Nigeria and noticed the difficulty his mother had accessing Nollywood content from the UK. Recognizing the massive, unmet demand for Nigerian films overseas and the inefficient distribution methods, he conceived the idea for IrokoTV. Initially launched in 2011 from a small two-bedroom apartment in Lagos, Njoku, alongside his business partner Bastian Gotter, began acquiring digital licenses for Nollywood films and offering them to a global audience for free on YouTube. As demand surged, the platform transitioned to a subscription-based model and launched its own dedicated streaming platform, IrokoTV. Under Njoku's leadership, the company attracted significant international investment, including $8 million from Tiger Global in 2011, establishing IrokoTV as a leading digital platform for African content. Njoku expanded the company's focus beyond just distribution, establishing an investment fund (Spark) to back other Nigerian internet startups, and IrokoX, a digital content studio. Major Achievements and Notable Works Njoku's primary achievement is IrokoTV itself, which revolutionized the distribution of Nigerian cinema, transforming Nollywood from a local video format industry into a globally accessible digital media phenomenon. His work has frequently been compared to Netflix's impact on Hollywood. In 2012, he was listed by Forbes Africa as one of the "Ten Young African Millionaires to Watch." He has also been a speaker at numerous international technology and media conferences, highlighting Africa’s growing digital economy. He is the producer of several films and is an executive producer on various television series developed through Iroko's production arms. Current Status As of the current period, Jason Njoku continues to lead IrokoTV, focusing on expanding the platform's reach, particularly within Africa, and refining its technological infrastructure. His career remains centered on leveraging technology to improve access to and monetization of African creative content on a global scale.