Lil Win claims he spent $500,000 on his Ibrahim Traoré movie

Ghanaian actor and filmmaker Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lil Win, has revealed that he has invested an astonishing $500,000 in his latest movie project titled Ibrahim Traoré, following a previous $300,000 commitment to A Country Called Ghana.

He disclosed this in an interview with Graphic Showbiz, emphasising that his motivation stems from a deep passion to elevate Ghanaian cinema and highlight authentic African narratives on the global stage.

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Captain Ibrahim Traoré took every ounce of effort, money and support I could gather. It has been very financially demanding. I had to take out a loan of about $400,000 in addition to my own money, as well as help from others, bringing the total to around $500,000

,he explained.

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Lil Win lamented that many Ghanaians are unaware of the real cost of making quality films. He believes that scepticism about budget claims stems from a lack of understanding of the industry’s demands.

When it comes to film-making in Africa, especially in Ghana, we work with specific budgets. Unfortunately, many people do not believe us when we mention how much our movies cost, but it is the truth. Just as in Nigeria, where some films cost about $1 million to produce, or in the West, where a single movie can cost as much as $30 million or more, we also invest heavily here

, he noted.

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For Lil Win, the key to international success lies in telling stories rooted in African traditions.

If you want your movie to be accepted internationally, you cannot just tell any story. It has to be rich in African culture, our history, our traditions and our folklore. That is why I focus on African stories that showcase who we are

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, he explained.

He revealed that Ibrahim Traoré is based on a true story from Burkina Faso and aims to spotlight Africa’s richness and diversity , just like A Country Called Ghana, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Ibrahim Traoré’ isn’t just a film, it is based on a true story from Burkina Faso. I want the world to see Africa’s richness, just like with my last movie, A Country Called Ghana, which is streaming on Amazon now.

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Lil Win stressed the importance of serious financial commitment to meet international film standards.

You can’t expect success on a shoestring budget. A Country Called Ghana cost around $300,000, yet even that required more for promotion. International standards demand serious investment. You can’t expect to achieve that with just a few thousands of cedis

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,he said.

The actor also shared that creating Ibrahim Traoré came with significant hurdles, calling it one of the most difficult projects of his career.

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