(Agence Ecofin) – The Nigerian film industry has acquired a certain notoriety in recent years, but it still displays shortcomings which limit its competitiveness on the international scene.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a strategic partnership with Ascend Studios, a creative sector organization that provides capacity building services, to train 3,500 young Nigerians in the creative industry. In the press release published Monday, November 18, it is indicated that this initiative called Africa Creative Blueprint aims to give these young people “the skills and resources needed to compete in the creative industry”.
Nigeria’s creative sector is experiencing notable growth, with the rise of the film industry driven by Nollywood. Despite progress, however, it faces many structural challenges. According to USAID, efforts should be primarily focused on expanding film distribution channels, improving production quality through state-of-the-art equipment, developing better scriptwriting and development practices. stories, and strengthening intellectual property protections.
“Filling these gaps would allow the creative sector to reach a wider audience and support more sustainable sources of income for filmmakers” continues the press release. A call for applications has been launched as part of the program, targeting directors/assistant directors, screenwriters, producers, production coordinators/managers, editors, production designers, cinematographers, costume designers, actors/actresses, composers/sound designers, lawyers, accountants, sales agents and other production finance professionals.
Selected candidates will undergo training in one of the 6 selected cities, namely Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Benin and Asaba. At least 200 of them will undergo extensive training to create a high-quality television drama.
Vanessa Ngono Atangana
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