Delmwa Deshi-Kura

Chief Executive Officer

Delmwa Deshi-Kura, widely known as DDK in professional circles, is a Nigerian Media Executive, Impact Filmmaker, and Social Entrepreneur, recognized for her pioneering work at the intersection of media production, emerging media, and narrative change for social transformation.

With a career spanning Africa, Europe, and North America, she has been instrumental in shaping socially impactful storytelling across multiple platforms for both local and global media brands working on the African continent, most notably the Emmy-nominated Warner Bros. Discovery Communications’ Learning Alliance +234 Project and The Leaders of Tomorrow Impact Campaigns on Luminate’s Naija NextGen Project.

Deshi-Kura first gained recognition as a Screenwriter on Africa’s longest-running TV series, Tinsel, contributing multiple episodes across four seasons. She later expanded her influence in African entertainment by spearheading a fan-favorite as the Writer and Director of The Big Friday Show on MTV Base, Viacom’s Pan-African hit series. Her early career in News and human-interest reporting deepened her affinity to social issues of social mobility for marginalized groups, particularly women and the youth, ultimately leading her to specialize in narrative change and impact-driven media.

As a Director and Executive Producer, Deshi-Kura led regional teams for Warner Bros. Discovery’s social impact arm, Discovery Learning Alliance (DLA)—now Impact.Ed. Beyond Africa, she has collaborated with global media giants, including Executive Producer Credits on NBC Universal Studios, Showmax, and DSTV amongst others. Over the years, She has shadowed producers on Good Morning America and mentored by key Executives from The OWN Network and the BBC.

DDK (middle) at the "NAIJA NEXTGEN" Launch

Early Life and Education

Delmwa Deshi-Kura was born in Lafia, Nasarawa State, and raised in Sokoto and Jos Plateau, in northern Nigeria. The second of five children, her love for media and television was sparked at an early age by her father, Nde Charles Deshi, who worked at the state-owned television network in her home state. She was also influenced by her uncles, who were journalists and news anchors, fostering her deep appreciation for storytelling and broadcasting.

Her mother, Lydia Deshi', was a real estate entrepreneur who pursued a university education while raising five children, eventually earning an MBA. Watching her mother balance business, academics, and family life' instilled in Delmwa a strong work ethic and a belief in continuous learning—values that would later shape her journey as a media entrepreneur and working mother.

From a young age, Delmwa displayed a natural affinity for the performing arts. At just eight years old, she began appearing on children’s TV and radio shows on PRTV Jos[3] and NTA Jos, setting the foundation for her future in media.

She went on to study English Literature and Linguistics at the University of Jos, graduating with a Combined Honors B.A. Degree in 2005, after which she pursued an MBA at The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, in 2008, succeeded by an Enterprise Development Studies at The Lagos Business School in 2009.

In 2015, Delmwa expanded her expertise in filmmaking by studying Directing at the Relativity School of Film Studies, Los Angeles Center Studios Campus, California. Over the years, her impact in 'media, storytelling, and social transformation' has earned her recognition on some of the world’s most prestigious leadership programs, including a nomination for The Eisenhower Fellowship[5].

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DDK (second from the right) at the "UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2024"

Career Beginnings

After graduation, Delmwa served as a Staff Writer at The Path Newspaper Company for her mandatory National Youth Service Corp in Sokoto, North-West Nigeria. Afterwards, she took on the role of a Jnr News Reporter on NTA News Jos, while producing and anchoring a contentious Prime Time Youth-focused Political News Program titled Generationnext. The eventual success of Generationnext on National TV led to Delmwa’s selection to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 women program[6] in 2008. During this period, she researched and produced News-styled mini-documentaries, and earned a spot on the British Councils’ Creative Lives Project. Delmwa next worked on the earlier seasons of Inspire Africa’s (Now EbonyLife) Moments With Mo, spearheading Media Buying & Planning.

In 2011 Delmwa proceeded to Mnet on DSTV’s Multichoice Network where she worked across multiple shows across Scripted and Unscripted Lifestyle Shows as an In-House Producer, Screenwriter, Post-Production Producer, and Field Director across Iconic Pan-African TV Shows including Tinsel, Jara, 53Xtra, and Channel O.

Delmedia

While working as a News Reporter at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Delmwa Deshi-Kura founded DelMedia Productions in 2007 and created its first independent project, Generation Next. The current affairs TV show was designed to bridge the gap between young Nigerians and Policy and political actors, fostering active youth engagement in policy and governance. Featuring a live in-studio audience of young people, the show quickly gained traction, sparking critical conversations between emerging leaders and policymakers. Its success led to subsequent seasons being sponsored by UAC Nigeria.

Over the years, DelMedia Productions has grown into a leading Pan-African content powerhouse, producing hit shows across multiple genres, including scripted dramas, reality TV, documentaries, and factual entertainment. Some of the company's most notable productions include:

The Real Housewives of Abuja (the Nigerian adaptation of NBCUniversal’s global reality franchise),
Date My Family Nigeria [11] (a fan-favorite dating reality show on Showmax),
Duplicity (a gripping dramatic thriller for M-Net).

In 2023, Deshi-Kura partnered with Luminate Group[13] to launch the Naija NextGen Campaign, a social impact initiative aimed at inspiring the next generation of Nigerian leaders. Through a six-episode narrative series, the campaign targeted young changemakers, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders, particularly from underserved communities.

As a media executive, impact filmmaker, and entrepreneur, Deshi-Kura continues to push the boundaries of storytelling, blending entertainment with purpose-driven content to shape narratives that influence culture, governance, and social change across Africa.

Velocity Studios & Emerging Media

With a career in impact production dedicated to transforming narratives and leveraging media for social change, Deshi-Kura continues to explore pathways to accelerate the path to social mobility for traditionally marginalized groups in her region. To this end, she is currently pioneering a mass virtual skill transfer revolution that will not only boost the continent’s media and entertainment industry but also expand Africa’s role in global content creation, gaming, and virtual production economy of the coming decade.

DDK at the "2025 Mip London " Launch

Filmography

Title	Year	Creator	Director	Writer	Producer
Naija NextGen	2024	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
The Real Housewives of Abuja	2023	No	Yes	No	Yes
Date My Family Nigeria	2019	No	Yes	No	Yes
Duplicity	2016	Yes	No	No	Yes
Discovery +234	2015	No	No	No	Yes
MTVBase's The Big Friday Show	2011	No	No	No	Yes
Channel O	2011	No	No	No	No
53Xtra	2011	No	No	No	No
Jara	2011	No	No	No	No
Tinsel	2011	No	No	Yes	No
Moments with Mo	2009	No	No	No	No
Generation Next	2007	No	No	No	No