Abdel Hakim Amzat Laleye

Abdel Hakim Amzat Laleye is a prominent Beninese novelist, actor, screenwriter, film director, and entrepreneur. Born in Porto-Novo, Benin in 1971, he has established himself as a central figure in cross-border artistic collaborations, particularly between the film industries of Benin Republic and Nigeria. He starred as the lead male character, Akanni, in the acclaimed cross-border romance film Abeni (2006) and its sequel Abeni 2 (2006). For his performance in Abeni, he earned a nomination for Best Upcoming Artist at the 2007 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Beyond acting, he serves as an executive producer and composer. He founded Laha Production, making substantial private investments to build out cinematic infrastructure in Benin. As an author, Amzat writes widely-read French-language fiction focused heavily on themes of romance, trust, and human relationships within contemporary African contexts. Some of his notable published books under LAHA Éditions include, Pourquoi moi? (2009), L'ami intime (2010), Serment d'abstinence, Héros.