Daniel Oriahi’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, adapted from Lola Shoneyin’s 2010 novel of the same name, focuses on the Alao family: Baba Segi (Odunlade Adekola), his four wives- Iya Segi (Iyabo Ojo), Iya Tope (Mercy Aigbe), Iya Femi (Bimbi Ademoye), and new wife Bolanle (Omowunmi Dada)- and his seven children. Bolanle’s arrival in the house turns its stability on its head, and when she fails conceive, the secrets hidden in the house bubble to the surface.
Baba Segi’s Wives exposes how certain structures force women into harsh situations, and the ways women must play the game to survive. Each of the wives found herself in the Alao house through means she would not have picked and now lives in the house by doing anything to ensure her safety. The film focuses on this dynamic – the wives with each other and their husband- highlighting the fact that structures that trap women, ironically, also need the participation of women to last.
Though it has an ensemble cast (and strong cameos!), each character in Baba Segi’s Wives shines, held down by phenomenal acting from the main five. The actors weave seamlessly between humour, anger, and heartbreak, making it so that you understand where each character is coming from, especially Adekola as Baba Segi, who does most of the emotional lifting in this film.
Its stellar actors elevate an otherwise paint-by-numbers film.
Shoneyin’s book is a deep examination of patriarchy and the treatment of women in Nigerian society, and though this film translates that message for a film audience (not everything from a book can make it to the screen after all), it’s hard not to notice that some of that depth is missing. For the interrogation the source material provides, I think the film pulls its punches.
Still, Baba Segi’s Wives is a great watch, offering the best of Nollywood.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives is playing at TIFF ’26. For more information, click here.
