The Nigerian animation industry is on the rise. Much like Nollywood, its famous cinematic predecessor, animation has the potential to flourish as another Nigerian-owned and operated film industry—if given the proper resources, support and attention, of course.

That's where people like Roye Okupe, the co-founder and CEO of YouNeek Sudios come in. He's one of the forward-thinking creators working to transform Nigeria's steadily blossoming animation industry into a prime source of entertainment for audiences young and old. With his series, Malika, Warrior Queen, which is currently in development, Okupe is not only creating an animation series that is visually captivating, but one that ties in uniquely Nigerian stories, like that of Queen Amina of Zazzau (Zaria), the 15th century northern Nigerian ruler who inspired the superhero Malika.

We caught up with Okupe to discuss further about developing Malika, Warrior Queen into an animated series, the state of Nigeria's animation industry, female superheroes, and how you can get involved in bringing the series to life.