Following a six-week free intense training program, 890 youths funded by the Lagos State Government graduated from the African Film Academy in keeping with the government of Governor Babajide Sanwo-dedication Olu’s to entertainment and tourism.
The African Film Academy and the Lagos State Government collaborated on the “Film in a Box” program, which trained and empowered 890 youngsters in three distinct centers—Alimosho, Epe, and Badagry—in the creative business.
The trainees that graduated received training in a variety of fields, including acting, art direction, light and lighting, editing, sound production, and post-production.
The recipients of the Film in a Box program, who were obviously moved by the Lagos State Government’s generosity, lauded the government’s support of the creative sector and vowed to help Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu win a second term in the state’s governorship election the following year.
At the African Film Academy’s Film in a Box Graduation Ceremony, which was held at the Lagos Theatre, Igando in Alimosho, Governor Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with entertainment industry stakeholders to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to build an environment that will support the livelihood of creative minds.
The Lagos State Government is committed to achieving its 30-year (2022–2052) development plan, which was recently unveiled at the 2022 Ehingbeti Summit, as well as building an African Film City in the Epe axis of the State, according to Governor Sanwo-Olu, who assured that his administration’s THEMES agenda is to make life a lot easier and beneficial for all Lagos residents, especially the youths.
In order to make Lagos a one-stop shop in the world, he said, his government would make sure it used entertainment and tourism to connect with the future. He urged those in the creative industry to seize the opportunities offered in the right way in order to ensure a better and greater Lagos and to put the State and Nigeria in an admirable position.
In addition, Governor Sanwo-Olu advised graduates of the African Film Academy and other state-sponsored creative programs to make use of the State Film Fund and the Lagos States Employment Trust Fund to start their own businesses and hire people.
The program, according to Pharm. (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, aims to make young people agents of change in the creative business and break new ground to help them become independent.
She said that the idea had been expanded to include the development of the arts and culture for peak performance in order to promote economic growth, the development of skills, and the creation of jobs to close the skills gap in the state creative sector.
While congratulating the graduates, Akinbile-Yusuf gave them the assurance that the Lagos State Government would continue to keep an eye on their development and help them produce quality creative works for the industry.
In her remarks, famous director and CEO of the African Film Academy, Mrs. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, praised the tenacity of her pupils and challenged them to use the knowledge they gained at the academy to explore the creative sector.
Despite having a 600-person target, she claimed that the Academy trained 890 students in Epe, Alimosho, and Badagry. She added that some of those trained there had already found employment because they were also taught business along with artistic skills.
The CEO of African Film Academy revealed that some of the trainees produced films, and that one of those movies, “Akanji,” would be screened in theaters to introduce the world to Alimosho.
Anyiam-Osaigwe applauded the Lagos State Government for outfitting the Badagry General Hospital to handle emergencies, particularly when a facilitator fell ill. She also praised the Babajide Sanwo-Olu government for making significant investments in the entertainment and creative industries.
One of the facilitators, Mr. Tunde Kelani, a veteran of the creative sector and a filmmaker, complimented the Lagos State government for supporting the entertainment sector, noting that it would reduce youth restlessness in Lagos and encourage young people to start their own businesses.
In addition, Kelani praised Governor Sanwo-Olu for the planned film district in Lagos, adding that the governor’s name will not be forgotten.
Additionally, he urged the graduates to read, practice collaboration, and remember their instructors.