Ghanaian actor and filmmaker Kojo Nkansah, popularly known as Lilwin, recently stirred online conversation with his bold proclamation:

“I am the PRESIDENT of African movies and I am the KING of Ghana movies period …”


Adding weight to his statement, Lilwin disclosed in late June 2025 that he personally invested approximately $500,000 into his most recent film, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, a biographical story inspired by real-life events in Burkina Faso. This colossal sum included around $400,000 in loans, combined with his own funds and external support to complete production.

Lilwin has made it clear that he is not only leading the Kumawood scene but also aiming to raise the bar for African cinema. In previous projects, such as A Country Called Ghana, he spent over $300,000 on production alone. Notably, he paid Nigerian actor Ramzy Nouah over $40,000 for his role, excluding accommodation and feeding. The promotion for that movie also saw Lilwin spend over one million Ghana cedis on marketing materials, billboards, and more than 4,000 branded T-shirts.

In another movie series, Mr President, Lilwin revealed he spent about GH₵700,000 primarily on props like rented Land Cruisers, motorbikes costing GH₵5,000 per day, and over GH₵30,000 worth of meat used in various scenes.

These bold investments are part of his vision to elevate Ghanaian storytelling to international levels. According to Lilwin, meaningful African narratives require serious financial commitment, from casting to costumes to cinematic quality.

“You cannot expect to produce an internationally competitive movie on a shoestring budget. Every element, costumes, locations, actors must be top‑notch.”


Lilwin dream is to push Ghanaian cinema to platforms like Amazon and Netflix, showcasing the rich culture and talent of Africa to the world.