The Story⚡
For several months, Femi D. Ogunsanwo and his team at House Gabriel Studios have handled production of two Africa Magic-commissioned series running on the same channel at overlapping times, completing both without interruption.
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Producing two major TV shows at the same time sounds like an impossible juggling act, yet it happened, and the secret was not luck or shortcuts but a decade of preparation that turned chaos into smooth coordination.
Here is everything you need to know about the show and its big finale coming up
The Low Priest is a 130-episode drama that follows two young men from the village of Ndiani whose paths cross over a shared ambition to escape poverty through professional football. Chibuzor, an orphan raising his younger sister, and Calistus, the son of the village’s Low Priest, begin as rivals after breaking into a sacred shrine. Official descriptions note that the gods select one and place a burden on the other, forging new alliances amid tests of power, sacrifice, and village expectations.
A Lagos-based fixer named Amanda connects them to club scouts, but opposition comes from the entire village against Chibuzor and from Calistus’s own parents. What begins as competition evolves into mutual understanding and a focus on advancing the village, though individuals with separate agendas block progress. The series stars Paul Nnadiekwe, David Eyo, and Oluchi Amajuoyi, among others, and has aired weekdays since its September 2025 premiere.
Daughters of Water is a 39-episode murder mystery set during a sacred cultural festival held once every seven years in the rural village of Ikot Ndem. Disgraced investigative journalist Anie (played by Imoh Eboh) returns home intending to document the event for a career boost. Seven selected maidens, known as the Daughters of Water, perform an ancient river ritual to honour ancestral spirits. Complications arise when the palace and a figure named Kufre bring in Anie’s colleague Ruth to produce an official documentary, creating direct competition.
The situation turns serious after one of the maidens is killed, corrupting the ritual and triggering events that draw Anie and Ruth into solving the crime. The series, with additional direction by Sarmie Lowkey and Charles Obi Emere, and executive production by Femi D. Ogunsanwo, explores tradition, family, and truth-seeking against a backdrop of village secrets.
Both projects come from House Gabriel Studios, where Femi D. Ogunsanwo serves as executive producer (and primary director for The Low Priest). The studio has also delivered other Africa Magic titles, including Omera, Masquerades of Aniedo, and Dead of Night. Recent updates from Ogunsanwo indicate that The Low Priest is approaching its final episodes while Daughters of Water continues its run, with the overlapping broadcast schedule requiring coordinated sets, crews, and post-production.
Femi Ogunsanwo: The 10-Year Grind Behind Producing Two Shows at Once
In conversation with Shock Africa, Executive Producer and Showrunner Femi Ogunsanwo shared the practical steps behind managing two full-scale shows concurrently, the elements that keep audiences coming back, and the set designs that left the strongest impression on him.
When asked how he managed to produce two shows concurrently, Femi said the key was experience built over more than ten years directing African Magic commission projects. He started directing in 2015 and used that history to assemble two reliable teams. For one show he called back the core group he has worked with since Masquerades of Añedo, O’Meara and Dead of Night. For the second show he reached further back, pulling in department heads he had collaborated with on earlier commission series, the sound recordist from one project, the director of photography from a 2017 shoot, the props master and makeup artist from others.
He explained that knowing these crew members personally meant he could trust their professionalism and attention to detail in the high-pressure environment of commission work. As showrunner, he directed less than usual, instead focusing on clear communication with the directors and producers assigned to each production. His central team of long-time producers stayed in constant sync, so both shows moved forward together. The two sets were in the same city but 25 to 30 minutes apart by car; Adebayo moved between them only when a specific scene required his input.
On what drives audiences to these shows, Femi pointed to three steady factors from House Gribble Studios. First, the storytelling itself must be strong. Second, every production is rooted in real cultural details that both entertain and inform. Third, Africans have always loved good stories; when viewers see their own culture depicted accurately or discover another culture they did not know, they stay engaged. He added that trust built from earlier series also plays a part as audiences return because they know the team delivers.
For the set concepts that stood out, Femi highlighted two from Low Priest and one from Daughters on Water. On Low Priest the team built the Ozoisi shrine from an empty space that contained only a slab on the floor. They also constructed Iwo Oha’s restaurant from scratch after clearing bush on the site; both the interior and exterior were designed to feel fresh and different from anything seen in his previous work.
On Daughters on Water the crew searched several locations before settling on the perfect site for the Uri Uri Festival, then shaped it until the finished set matched the vision that had lived in his head for months. Seeing all three locations come to life on screen, he said, made the long production process worthwhile.
In Summary
The Low Priest airs on Monday to Friday at 8:00 pm, and Daughters of Water airs on Monday to Wednesday at 8:30 pm on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Channel 151, GOtv Channel 8), with every episode of both series available to stream on Showmax for convenient catch-up through the app or DStv services
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