By Akeem Lasisi
Although every part of Nigeria is culturally and artistically endowed, Lagos remains the centre of creative enterprise in Nigeria. Whether in film, music or fashion, it is the biggest hub for talents dreaming for the sky. It is thus not surprising that more creative people continue to join the train to the ‘Centre of Excellence’.
Different factors account for this. Lagos’ about 20 million people offers a huge market. The comparable prosperity of the aquatic state, in terms of government’s financial stature and presence of businesses as well as other organisations that consume entertainment products are key. Beyond the ‘natural’ factors, however, the investment that the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is making in the training of youths prosecuting their stakes in the creative sector promises that the future will be rosier for the industry.
Apart from the financial support it gives to various outfits for different projects and programmes, the government has, in the past five years, trained 3,748 youths on creative arts in partnership, according to official data. This it did in collaboration with the likes of Del-York Film Academy, GIDI Creative Academy, Ebony Life Creative Academy, and African Academy. Operators of the outfits have acknowledged this and accordingly thanked the governor for the interventions.
The support, rooted in the T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda of the government, in which ‘E’ stands for ‘Entertainment and tourism’, echoes the seed capital of N1 billion injected into the creative sector by the state. Sanwo-Olu had launched this in 2021, when leading entertainers such as Richard Mofe Damijo, Mo Abudu, the late Peace Anyiam Osigwe, Tunde Kelani, and Kunle Afolayan were drawn into a committee to give the plan life. It played a role when the government gave interest-free loans to 39 filmmakers.
The governor had inaugurated the Committee on Film Production Empowerment to fund youth creativity and entertainment activities in the state. The intervention project, according to him, is expected to jump-start the transformation of the entertainment and tourism sectors, as it supports the creative ideas of movie and other entertainment producers constrained by funds to bring their concepts into reality.
He always emphasises the need to empower youths through the sector. He, for instance, demonstrated his burning enthusiasm when the EbonyLife Creative Academy, funded by his government, was being launched. The academy operates in conjunction with the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative (LACI) – a parastatal under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The institute, whose campus is located on Victoria Island, started with an intensive training for 120 creative young people, admitted for free, practical courses designed by industry experts across all aspects of filmmaking and media content production. It offers state-of-the-art lecture rooms, projection and sound facilities, as well as practical studio workshop spaces and post-production facilities fitted with latest technology to ensure cohorts have a conducive learning environment and advance their skill-set.
Inaugurating the creative academy, Sanwo-Olu said the project was initiated not only to create jobs and economic opportunities for creative young people, but also designed to bolster positive impact on the production of quality creative contents, thereby stimulating the creative economy.
He said: “The creative Academy, we are opening today, is the culmination of several months of planning and strategising in which we are seeking the best way to offer high-quality but free training to aspiring and established creative practitioners. The idea of the creative Academy was first mooted during this administration’s per-inauguration planning, during which we formulated impactful policies and programmes for the creative sector and other areas.”
EbonyLife Media Chief Executive Officer, Mo Abudu, described the project as “a dream come true”, praising the governor for his “unwavering commitment” to the realisation of the initiative.
Abudu said: “To be counted among the best content producers in the world, training and development are key. To truly make Lagos a destination for media and entertainment, a trained workforce in the industry is key. Governor Sanwo-Olu understood this vision and gave us the support we needed to establish the Academy and offer free courses.”
Beyond the interventions on training, the Sanwo-Olu government supports research, documentation, performances and festivals across the states. Organisations such as the Africa Music Award (AFRIMA), African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and Headies have benefited from Sanwo-Olu’s responsiveness in this regard. While it also recently sponsored the World Theatre Day held at the Mike Adenuga Cultural Centre, Ikoyi, it practically identified with the Emmy Kasbit show at the Lagos Fashion Week 2023. According to the governo, he is proud of the state’s strong footing in art and culture.
He had recounted on X: “At #LagosFashionWeek 2023, I stood proudly in the heart of a city that’s the epicentre of art, culture, and expression. Lagos is where creativity thrives. We continue to support this vibrant community because we believe in its power to transform our city and our economy. Closing the Emmy Kasbit show yesterday, I’m reminded of how creativity isn’t just about fashion; it’s an economic force”.
No wonder, the government is eager to see the Lagos Film City, being built in Ejinrin, near Epe, come alive. York Film is partnering the government on the project.
Sanwo-Olu once said about the Film City: “Over 100 hectares of land and more than $100 million in investment, it is a signpost of our commitment to the creative space. The city will have studios that will be comparable to what we have in any part of the world”.
While he also identified with other artists weeks ago when the Art of Technology Lagos 5.0 Conference was held, the government is also supporting the Lagos Afropolis 2024, holding between October and November this year.
