The U.S. government, via the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has initiated a significant $3.5 million collaboration with Nigeria’s private sector to tackle fundamental issues within the country’s creative industry and enhance its position on the global stage.
The initiative, tagged the Africa Creative Blueprint, is led by USAID in partnership with Ascend Studios. Its goal is to improve Nigeria’s Nollywood industry by addressing key issues like production quality, film distribution, and the safeguarding of intellectual property rights.
In a statement released on the USAID website on Thursday, Inya Lawal, CEO of Ascend Studios, remarked, “This partnership marks a significant achievement for the Nigerian creative industry, paving the way for African narratives to flourish on a global scale.”
The program aims to offer comprehensive training to 3,500 young people in Nigeria, spanning six cities: Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Benin, and Asaba. It will also cultivate a skilled group of 200 participants who will create a 13-episode TV drama featuring music, aimed at tackling social issues and promoting inclusive development.
Melissa Jones, USAID Nigeria Country Director, stated that “this collaboration will produce premium, commercially successful content capable of competing globally.”
The project aims to stimulate further investments from key partners like Paramount Nigeria and Venture Garden Group, while also tackling persistent issues like insufficient infrastructure and a lack of professional development opportunities in screenwriting and production design.
The program is now accepting applications for positions in directing, acting, writing, production, sound design, and various technical areas.
USAID emphasized that addressing these gaps could enable the Nigerian creative sector to generate sustainable income and reach a wider international audience.
