By Simpson Global Media News Desk
Nigerian special-effects artist Hakeem Onilogbo, popularly known as Hakeem Effects, has renewed the call for Nollywood to combine artificial intelligence with practical filmmaking skills rather than allow emerging technology to displace the hands-on expertise required to create convincing characters and physical effects on screen.
Onilogbo's latest comments have placed the often-overlooked technical side of Nigerian filmmaking at the centre of a growing conversation about how artificial intelligence is changing entertainment production.
In an interview published on September 19, the award-winning special-effects artist said AI could generate effects such as explosions within seconds and could be useful during the planning stages of production, but warned that an excessive focus on speed and lower costs could discourage young creatives from learning practical effects techniques.
He said filmmakers should instead learn how to integrate AI into existing creative workflows, particularly for brainstorming, mood-board development and character concepts, while retaining human expertise for physical processes such as prosthetics and other practical effects.
The latest discussion comes as a profile published on September 22 traces Onilogbo's journey from an aspiring actor and struggling young creative to one of the recognisable technical specialists in Nigeria's film industry. The profile draws on earlier interviews and documents how his career developed through experimentation, improvisation and practical work.
His position also comes at a time when Nollywood is increasingly working with sophisticated digital production techniques while continuing to rely on traditional craftsmanship.
For an industry that has historically built elaborate productions with limited resources, the arrival of AI presents both new possibilities and new questions.
How much of a film's visual world should be generated digitally?
Which effects should remain physical?
How should actors work with computer-generated elements?
Who should receive credit when AI contributes to a character or visual sequence?
And how can young Nigerian filmmakers acquire the technical skills needed to work with both traditional and emerging technologies?
Those questions are becoming increasingly relevant as Nigerian filmmakers seek to produce content for domestic cinemas, television, streaming platforms and international audiences.
A Debate Beyond Technology
Onilogbo's argument is not that AI should be excluded from filmmaking.
Instead, his position is that technology should serve the creative process rather than eliminate the practical expertise that makes filmmaking possible.
According to his September interview, AI can be useful for generating ideas, developing visual concepts and helping filmmakers explore possible designs before production begins.
He gave the example of using AI to generate different scar concepts for a tribal-warrior character before applying professional practical-effects skills to create the final result.
That distinction separates concept development from physical execution.
An AI system can suggest what a character might look like.
A special-effects artist still has to determine how that appearance can be achieved on an actor.
That may involve prosthetics, moulding, adhesives, makeup, sculpting, hair work, body transformation, paint, costumes and other materials.
The process can also involve repeated testing to ensure that the effect survives the demands of filming.
An effect that looks convincing in a digital image may not necessarily work when an actor has to move, speak, sweat, turn, fight or perform under strong studio lighting.
Practical effects therefore remain connected to the physical realities of filmmaking.
Why Actors Matter in the Process
One of Onilogbo's key arguments is that physical effects can influence an actor's performance.
He explained that an actor who sees or physically experiences a real effect on set can react differently from one who has to imagine an event that will later be inserted digitally.
For example, an actor reacting to an actual controlled explosion, physical prosthetic or tangible creature may respond differently from an actor looking at an empty space and being told that an effect will be added later.
That does not mean digital effects are inherently less effective.
Rather, it highlights the different working conditions created by practical and computer-generated techniques.
A director may choose one method for safety, cost, artistic or technical reasons.
A production can also combine the two.
A physical prosthetic may establish the appearance of a character while digital effects extend the environment around it.
A practical explosion can provide an actor with a real visual and physical reference while digital effects increase its scale during post-production.
A physical costume can be enhanced with computer-generated elements.
The distinction between practical and digital filmmaking is therefore becoming less absolute.
The growing challenge for Nollywood is determining how the two can work together effectively.
From Actor to Special-Effects Specialist
Onilogbo's career is particularly relevant to that discussion because he did not originally plan to become a special-effects artist.
According to a 2018 interview with Punch, he entered the film industry hoping to become an actor.
He was born in Ibadan in the late 1970s and grew up in circumstances that eventually took his family from Ibadan to Abeokuta after his father lost his job as a sales representative and became a taxi driver.
After secondary school, Onilogbo left home for Lagos in 1996.
He later described sleeping under a bridge while attempting to establish himself in the city.
His early encounters with the entertainment industry did not immediately produce the acting career he wanted.
He met actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, in 1998 and sought an opportunity to become his student. Hassan, according to Onilogbo's account, advised him to continue his education or learn a trade.
That advice became part of a much longer journey.
Onilogbo subsequently worked in areas including signage and fine-art painting.
He eventually moved into special-effects makeup after becoming involved in church drama productions and experimenting with effects.
The transition was not the result of a conventional professional training programme.
It developed through experimentation.
In a 2023 interview, Onilogbo said he did not formally learn special-effects makeup and described his abilities as an innate talent. He also said he had been motivated by the need to fill gaps he observed in Nigerian film production.
His story illustrates one of the ways technical skills have developed within Nollywood.
Some specialists entered the industry through formal training.
Others learned through apprenticeships, experimentation, observation and repeated production work.
The growing sophistication of Nigerian film production is now creating pressure for those informal learning pathways to be complemented by structured technical education.
The Craft Behind a Five-Second Effect
One of the recurring challenges in discussing special effects is that audiences generally see only the finished image.
They may see a character with an apparently severe injury, an explosion, an aged face, a battle wound or a transformed body.
What they do not necessarily see is the preparation behind the effect.
In June, Onilogbo told Punch that a simple effect lasting only a few seconds could require days of preparation.
He described processes involving testing, moulding, rehearsals, safety simulations, continuity checks and fireproofing. He also said productions may require medical personnel and other safety arrangements when physical effects are involved.
That preparation becomes especially important when effects involve fire, smoke, pyrotechnics, weapons simulation, prosthetics or other potentially hazardous materials.
The apparent simplicity of an effect on screen can therefore conceal considerable technical work.
This is one reason Onilogbo has argued that special-effects artists should be treated as important creative contributors rather than simply technicians brought onto a set to execute instructions.
Safety as Part of the Creative Process
The use of practical effects also introduces safety responsibilities.
Onilogbo has previously described a near-miss early in his career when a rig misfired after a change in wind direction.
He said the experience influenced his subsequent approach to production safety.
According to his June 2026 account, his current practice involves safety briefings, test runs, fire marshals and clearly defined emergency stop procedures. He summarised the approach as “Safety over shot.”
That philosophy has significance for an industry adopting increasingly sophisticated production techniques.
AI can help filmmakers design a sequence, but it does not remove the physical risks associated with executing that sequence.
A digitally generated explosion carries different production risks from a practical pyrotechnic explosion.
A computer-generated creature does not require an actor to wear a heavy prosthetic.
A physical prosthetic, however, can require careful application, removal and monitoring.
As filmmakers combine methods, production teams will need to understand the safety implications of each.
Nollywood's Technical Evolution
Nigeria's film industry has undergone a substantial technical transformation over the past two decades.
Digital cameras have become more accessible.
Editing software has expanded production possibilities.
Streaming platforms have increased demand for original Nigerian content.
Visual effects have become more prominent.
Production design has become increasingly ambitious.
Special-effects artists have gained greater recognition.
These changes have allowed Nigerian filmmakers to attempt stories that previously might have been difficult to produce.
Historical epics, fantasy stories, action films, period dramas and supernatural narratives often require technical departments capable of creating environments and characters that do not exist in everyday life.
Onilogbo's work has been part of that development.
His credits include productions such as King of Boys, Anikulapo, Jagun Jagun, Shanty Town, The Black Book, Seven Doors and Lisabi, among others. IMDb's current credits list him across special-effects and makeup roles on numerous Nigerian productions.
The range of those projects illustrates how special-effects work has become integrated into different genres.
Recognition at the AMVCAs
Onilogbo's work has also received recognition at major Nigerian film awards.
At the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, he won the Best Makeup category for Lisabi: A Legend Is Born, according to coverage of the awards.
His award history goes further back.
In 2017 and 2018, he won Best Makeup-related honours at the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, while his work also received recognition at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Such recognition is relevant to the industry's wider development because technical categories help make behind-the-scenes creative work more visible.
Audiences generally recognise actors and directors more readily than prosthetics artists, makeup specialists, production designers, cinematographers, sound designers or other technical professionals.
Yet the final quality of a production depends on the interaction of those disciplines.
The Example of Jagun Jagun
One of Onilogbo's widely discussed bodies of work came through Jagun Jagun, a Yoruba epic that required extensive character transformation and battle-related effects.
In a 2023 interview, he explained that the project required him to improvise solutions because Nigeria's film industry did not always have easy access to the specialised products and equipment required for high-end effects.
He described improvisation as part of his professional development.
The experience reflects a broader feature of Nigerian filmmaking: creative teams often have to adapt international techniques to local conditions.
Equipment availability, financing, production schedules and access to specialised materials can all affect what filmmakers can achieve.
For some productions, improvisation becomes part of the creative process.
But as the industry grows, improvisation alone may not be sufficient.
More formal training, better equipment and specialised production facilities can allow artists to work more consistently and safely.
Bridging the Technical Skills Gap
Nigeria's special-effects industry has a skills gap that has been recognised by industry participants for several years.
A 2024 BusinessDay report on Nigerian SFX artists noted that demand for special-effects professionals was outpacing supply because of the specialised nature of the work.
That challenge becomes more significant as film production expands.
A growing industry requires more than actors and directors.
It needs people who can handle prosthetics, creature design, pyrotechnics, set construction, costume effects, visual effects, colour grading, sound design, cinematography and other specialist tasks.
Training therefore becomes a central part of the industry's future.
If AI makes some production tasks faster, it may actually increase the importance of specialists who understand how to direct, evaluate and refine those technologies.
A filmmaker who can generate hundreds of visual concepts but lacks the technical knowledge to determine which can be physically or digitally realised may still struggle to produce a coherent film.
AI and the Next Generation
Onilogbo's comments are particularly relevant to young Nigerian creatives entering the industry.
AI tools are becoming increasingly accessible.
A young filmmaker can generate concept images, experiment with scripts, produce mood boards, explore costume ideas and visualise scenes without access to a major studio.
That can lower some barriers to entry.
But access to AI does not automatically create professional expertise.
The ability to generate an image is different from understanding anatomy, lighting, prosthetic materials, continuity, camera movement, actor comfort, fire safety or production design.
For that reason, Onilogbo's recommendation is for young practitioners to learn how to use AI while also developing traditional skills.
The two forms of knowledge can complement one another.
A special-effects artist could use AI to explore possible character designs and then use sculpting and prosthetic techniques to build the final character.
A director could use AI-generated storyboards to communicate an idea to the production team before refining it with a professional storyboard artist.
A production designer could use AI to explore visual references while relying on human expertise to determine what can be built within the project's budget and location.
AI in Pre-Production
Pre-production is one area where AI may have particularly practical applications.
Filmmakers can spend significant amounts of time deciding how characters, locations, costumes and sequences should look before cameras begin rolling.
AI tools can assist with concept exploration.
Instead of producing one possible design, a creative team can generate several variations and discuss them.
This does not eliminate the need for artists.
Rather, it can give them additional material with which to begin a creative conversation.
Onilogbo's own example of generating scar designs illustrates that approach.
He used AI to explore possibilities before applying his professional skills to create the physical effect.
That workflow could become increasingly common.
However, it also raises questions about copyright, originality and the ownership of AI-generated material.
Those questions are becoming relevant across the global entertainment industry.
Protecting Artists' Likenesses
Onilogbo has also raised concerns about the potential misuse of AI-generated faces and characters.
He called for industry standards around disclosure of AI-generated characters, faces and major visual effects in film credits.
He also advocated stronger intellectual-property protection for actors and artists whose likenesses or creative works could be reproduced using AI.
The issue is particularly important for entertainment because an actor's face and voice can have commercial value.
AI technologies can increasingly manipulate or reproduce visual and audio characteristics.
Without clear rules and contractual protections, questions can arise over whether an actor has authorised the use of their likeness and whether they should be compensated.
The Nigerian film industry will need to address those issues as AI becomes more integrated into production.
Transparency in Film Credits
The question of credits may appear administrative, but it has a direct relationship with professional recognition.
Film credits allow audiences and industry workers to know who contributed to a production.
If AI becomes involved in character creation, visual effects, voice generation or other elements, producers may need clear standards about how that contribution is identified.
Onilogbo's proposal for disclosure reflects a broader concern about maintaining transparency.
Such standards could also help audiences understand which elements were produced physically, digitally or through AI-assisted processes.
For technical workers, transparent credits could help preserve professional recognition.
For producers, clear disclosure could help establish consistent industry practices.
For viewers, it could provide greater understanding of how the images on screen were created.
Practical Effects and Digital Effects
The debate should not be reduced to AI versus practical effects.
Modern filmmaking already uses combinations of techniques.
A practical makeup effect can be photographed and digitally enhanced.
A digitally designed creature can be combined with a physical costume.
A physical set can be extended digitally.
A practical stunt can be supplemented by visual effects.
A real explosion can be combined with computer-generated debris.
The most effective production method depends on the story, budget, safety requirements and creative objectives.
Onilogbo's comments therefore point towards collaboration rather than a simple replacement model.
His argument is that practical artists should learn to work with new technologies rather than ignore them.
That approach could allow Nigerian filmmakers to maintain traditional skills while embracing digital innovation.
Why Physical Craft Still Matters
There is another reason practical effects remain important: texture.
Human beings respond to physical details.
A prosthetic has actual depth.
A costume interacts with light.
A physical object creates shadows.
A performer can touch it.
An actor can see it.
A camera can capture the way it moves.
Digital technology can reproduce many of these qualities, but practical production gives filmmakers another route to realism.
The choice between methods does not need to be ideological.
A production team can decide what should be physical and what should be digital.
The key is having enough skilled professionals to make that decision intelligently.
The Business Side of Special Effects
Special effects are also part of the business structure of filmmaking.
Productions pay specialists to design and execute effects.
Specialists need equipment and materials.
Production companies need budgets that accommodate those costs.
Training institutions need instructors.
Film schools need laboratories and workshops.
Special-effects companies can develop products for the local market.
As demand grows, the sector can create employment beyond individual film sets.
Nigeria's growing film industry therefore has an opportunity to develop a stronger ecosystem around technical production.
That ecosystem could include specialist studios, prosthetic laboratories, equipment suppliers, training centres and safety consultants.
The development of such infrastructure could reduce the industry's dependence on improvisation and imported expertise.
From Improvisation to Infrastructure
Onilogbo's career demonstrates what can be achieved through individual experimentation.
But an industry cannot rely entirely on individual talent.
If Nigeria wants to compete consistently in large-scale international film production, it needs systems that support creative workers.
That means training.
It means access to equipment.
It means production facilities.
It means safety standards.
It means professional associations.
It means reliable contracts.
It means financing.
And increasingly, it means digital infrastructure.
AI may become one component of that ecosystem, but it cannot replace the broader institutional structure required for filmmaking.
The Role of Film Schools
Formal education can also complement the kind of practical learning that built Onilogbo's career.
A new generation of Nigerian special-effects artists could study anatomy, sculpture, materials science, makeup, prosthetics, pyrotechnic safety, cinematography and digital visual effects.
They could also learn AI-assisted design.
Such programmes could help young artists move from experimentation to professional practice.
Onilogbo's own history shows that talent can emerge outside formal institutions.
But his experience can also illustrate why structured training could help future practitioners reach professional standards faster.
The industry does not have to choose between talent and education.
It can use both.
A Larger Opportunity for Nollywood
The AI debate comes at a time when Nollywood's international reach continues to expand.
Nigerian films are increasingly available through global streaming platforms.
International audiences are consuming Nigerian stories.
The industry is producing more ambitious historical and fantasy projects.
The technical expectations attached to those productions are consequently increasing.
Audiences who encounter Nigerian films alongside productions from other major markets can compare visual effects, sound, cinematography and production design.
That creates pressure for continuous improvement.
It also creates opportunities.
If Nigerian special-effects artists develop internationally competitive expertise, they can potentially work beyond the domestic market.
The same applies to cinematographers, editors, sound designers, costume designers and other technical specialists.
A Career That Began With Acting
Onilogbo's career trajectory remains unusual because his original ambition was not special effects.
His 2018 account described a long period of uncertainty before he found a professional niche.
He worked in signage and art, attempted to enter acting, experienced financial difficulties and eventually discovered that his skills could be applied to special-effects makeup.
His experience provides an example of how careers in entertainment can develop in unexpected directions.
The Nigerian creative economy contains numerous occupations that audiences rarely see.
A young person may enter the sector hoping to become an actor and eventually become a costume designer.
Another may begin as a photographer and move into cinematography.
A musician may become a producer.
A dancer may become a choreographer.
A makeup artist may become a special-effects specialist.
That diversity is part of the creative industry's economic potential.
Recognition Can Change a Technical Career
Onilogbo has previously said professional recognition changed how directors and clients viewed his work.
After receiving the 2026 AMVCA award, he told Punch that the recognition helped shift perceptions of special effects as a discipline based on skill, science and safety rather than something mysterious or improvised.
He also said the recognition generated additional project calls and increased interest from young people who wanted to learn the craft.
That response is significant.
Awards do not only recognise completed work.
They can also influence which professions young creatives consider viable.
When a technical artist becomes publicly recognised, the industry gets a clearer picture of the people behind the visual language of its films.
The Future of Practical Effects in Nigeria
The next phase of Nollywood's special-effects development could therefore involve greater professionalisation.
That may include more specialised training, stronger safety procedures, better access to materials, improved equipment and closer collaboration between practical-effects teams and digital visual-effects departments.
AI will likely become part of that process.
Rather than eliminating practical effects, it may help artists explore ideas more quickly.
The challenge will be ensuring that technology does not weaken the underlying skills required to execute those ideas.
For Onilogbo, the solution is integration.
AI can help with concepts.
Artists can turn those concepts into physical realities.
Digital effects can extend what happens on set.
Directors can choose the most appropriate combination for each scene.
Actors can work with both physical and digital elements.
The final product can benefit from all of them.
The Need for Industry Standards
As AI becomes more common, the entertainment industry will also need clearer standards.
Those standards could address disclosure of AI use, intellectual property, actor likenesses, data protection, safety, copyright, credits and contractual rights.
Onilogbo has specifically called for standards covering AI-generated characters, faces and major visual effects, as well as training and certification for practitioners.
The Nigerian film industry can potentially learn from international discussions while developing standards suited to local production realities.
Such frameworks would not necessarily prevent innovation.
Instead, they could provide greater clarity for producers, actors, writers, technical artists and technology companies.
The Human Skill Behind the Image
At the centre of Onilogbo's argument is a simple distinction: technology can assist a creative process, but it does not remove the need for creative judgement.
A generated image still requires someone to decide whether it fits the story.
A computer-generated character still needs direction.
An AI-generated concept still has to be adapted to a production.
A digital effect still needs continuity.
A physical prosthetic still requires an artist who understands anatomy, materials and performance.
A dangerous sequence still needs a professional who understands safety.
That human expertise remains essential.
What This Means for Nollywood
For Nollywood, the conversation could shape how the industry trains and employs its next generation of technical creatives.
If AI is adopted without corresponding investment in skills, the industry could gain speed while losing expertise.
If AI is rejected completely, filmmakers could miss opportunities to improve planning and production efficiency.
The middle path described by Onilogbo is to develop both capabilities.
Young artists can learn traditional techniques while becoming familiar with AI-assisted tools.
Production companies can invest in both practical and digital departments.
Film schools can teach both.
Award bodies can continue recognising technical disciplines.
Producers can include adequate budgets for specialist work.
And policymakers can contribute through training, intellectual-property protection and industry standards.
A Wider Conversation About Creativity
The debate around Hakeem Effects is ultimately part of a much larger discussion about the future of creative work.
Artificial intelligence is changing how people write, design, edit, compose music and create images.
Entertainment is one of the sectors where those changes are particularly visible because audiences can directly see the results.
But technology does not automatically determine the creative outcome.
People still choose the story.
They still determine the character.
They still decide what an audience should feel.
They still choose whether a scene should be funny, frightening, emotional or dramatic.
The tools may change.
The creative responsibility remains.
Nollywood's Technical Workforce
The industry will therefore need to think about its technical workforce as carefully as it thinks about its stars.
Actors may attract the audience, but dozens of specialists help construct the world that audiences eventually see.
Special-effects artists create transformations.
Costume designers establish identity.
Production designers create environments.
Cinematographers shape images.
Sound designers create atmosphere.
Editors control rhythm.
Visual-effects artists extend the physical world.
Makeup artists establish age, character and appearance.
Each discipline contributes to the final product.
Onilogbo's career is a reminder that the people behind those departments can themselves become major creative figures.
From Hakeem Effects to the Next Generation
The most important consequence of the current AI conversation may therefore be what happens to the young people entering Nollywood.
If they see AI only as a shortcut, they may miss opportunities to master fundamental creative skills.
If they see it only as a threat, they may miss useful tools.
If they learn to combine technology with craft, they may develop a broader range of professional abilities.
That is the direction Onilogbo is advocating.
His own career was built through experimentation.
He moved from acting ambitions into makeup and then into special effects.
He developed skills through practice.
He built effects when specialised resources were difficult to access.
He worked across increasingly ambitious productions.
And he has now reached a point where his public message is focused not only on his own work but on how the wider industry should approach emerging technology.
The Next Stage
Nollywood is entering a period in which technical expertise will increasingly determine how ambitious Nigerian stories can become.
AI can contribute to that transformation.
So can practical effects.
So can better training.
So can improved production infrastructure.
So can stronger safety standards.
The combination could allow Nigerian filmmakers to tell stories that require increasingly complex visual worlds without abandoning the practical craftsmanship that has helped build the industry.
Onilogbo's latest comments therefore come at an important moment.
The question facing Nigerian filmmakers is not simply whether AI will enter the industry.
It already has.
The more immediate question is how it will be used.
Will it become a substitute for skilled workers?
Will it become a tool that allows skilled workers to move faster?
Will producers use it mainly to reduce costs?
Will filmmakers use it to expand creative possibilities?
Will actors and artists have adequate protection for their likenesses?
Will the industry develop standards for disclosure and credit?
Those questions remain open.
What Onilogbo has made clear is his position: practical skills should not be discarded simply because technology can produce a digital result faster.
A Future Built on Combination
The future of Nigerian screen production may ultimately depend less on choosing between old and new technologies and more on learning how to combine them.
A practical-effects artist can use AI during concept development.
A visual-effects artist can enhance a physical set.
A director can use digital pre-visualisation before shooting.
An actor can perform alongside practical elements while digital effects are added later.
A production designer can combine physical construction with computer-generated environments.
A makeup artist can use digital references while retaining hands-on transformation skills.
These combinations could expand what Nigerian filmmakers can achieve.
They could also create new jobs for people who understand both traditional and emerging production techniques.
The Craft Still Matters
For Hakeem Onilogbo, the rise of AI does not change the value of the craft that brought him to the forefront of Nollywood's technical community.
His latest message is that the industry should embrace technological change without abandoning the skills that give filmmaking its physical dimension.
His career provides a useful backdrop to that argument.
He began as an aspiring actor.
He worked through difficult circumstances.
He experimented with art and makeup.
He developed special-effects techniques.
He worked on major Nigerian productions.
He received industry recognition.
And he continues to argue for stronger technical standards and training.
His journey now intersects with one of the biggest technological questions facing entertainment.
As AI becomes more capable, what should remain distinctly human?
For Onilogbo, the answer includes the hands-on expertise of artists who understand how materials behave, how actors respond to physical effects, how safety works on a set and how a visual concept can be transformed into a convincing performance.
That expertise cannot simply be generated by pressing a button.
Nollywood at the Technology Crossroads
Nigeria's film industry now stands at a technology crossroads.
One direction leads toward greater use of AI, digital effects and automated creative tools.
Another preserves and strengthens traditional craft.
The emerging production model is likely to contain elements of both.
Onilogbo's comments provide one perspective from inside that transition.
His recommendation is not to resist AI but to understand it, use it responsibly and integrate it with practical expertise.
For an industry seeking to expand internationally, that combination could be important.
Nollywood's greatest asset remains its ability to tell Nigerian and African stories.
Technology can expand the ways those stories are visualised.
But technology alone cannot supply the cultural understanding, performance, judgement and craftsmanship required to make those stories resonate.
The Road Ahead
The next stage of Nigeria's special-effects industry will likely depend on whether talented practitioners have access to the training and infrastructure required to work across both practical and digital environments.
Industry bodies, production companies, training institutions and policymakers can all contribute to that process.
Young creatives will need opportunities to learn.
Established professionals will need opportunities to adapt.
Producers will need to understand the value and cost of specialist work.
Actors will need protections as digital likeness technologies develop.
And audiences will increasingly encounter films in which physical effects, visual effects and AI-assisted production techniques coexist.
The objective is not to preserve one technology at the expense of another.
It is to make sure that technological progress does not come at the expense of professional skill.
A Message for the Next Generation
Onilogbo's latest position can therefore be read as a message to the next generation of Nigerian filmmakers: learn the tools, but learn the craft as well.
AI can help create ideas.
It can accelerate planning.
It can assist with visual exploration.
It can support production.
But filmmaking still requires people who understand how to turn an idea into something an audience can believe.
That may mean a prosthetic applied to an actor's face.
It may mean a physical wound designed for a battle scene.
It may mean a practical object that gives an actor something real to interact with.
It may mean a carefully controlled effect performed under strict safety conditions.
Or it may mean combining all of those elements with computer-generated imagery.
The technology may change from one production to another.
The need for skill does not.
Conclusion
Hakeem Onilogbo's latest comments have brought attention to a part of Nollywood that is often less visible than acting, music and celebrity culture but is essential to the industry's continued technical development.
His argument is that artificial intelligence should complement practical special effects rather than replace the people who have spent years developing the skills required to create them.
That position comes after a career built on experimentation and practical problem-solving.
From his early ambition to become an actor to his eventual emergence as a recognised special-effects specialist, Onilogbo's professional journey has been closely connected to the evolution of Nigerian film production.
His 2026 AMVCA recognition for Lisabi: A Legend Is Born has added another milestone to that career, while his recent comments show that his focus is increasingly on the future of the profession itself.
That future will almost certainly include AI.
The technology is already being used to explore concepts, generate references and assist creative planning.
The challenge for Nollywood will be determining how to use those capabilities while maintaining professional standards, protecting creative workers and developing the practical skills required to execute increasingly ambitious productions.
For Nigerian filmmakers, the emerging lesson is not that technology and craftsmanship must compete.
It is that the strongest production teams may be those capable of making the two work together.
As Nollywood continues to expand across cinemas, television and global streaming platforms, the people who build the worlds behind the camera will remain central to that growth.
Hakeem Effects' latest message is therefore about more than artificial intelligence.
It is about ensuring that as Nigerian cinema becomes more technologically advanced, the human craft behind the screen continues to evolve with it.
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