The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, has launched the Lagos State Creative Industries Initiative (LACI) at a brand unveiling ceremony on Tuesday. The aim of the initiative is to make Lagos a destination for a skilled, well-trained workforce for the creative industries, thereby boosting the state’s economy as the sector continues to thrive.
According to Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, LACI will serve as a training platform for practitioners in the creative sector on the use of modern technology, to enhance the content and quality of Nigeria’s entertainment. The objectives of LACI are in line with two of Lagos State’s development pillars – education & technology and entertainment & tourism–and will help to attract film productions from around Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the world.
As part of its strategy to fast-track the output of LACI, Lagos State is partnering with two creative firms, EbonyLife Media and Del-York Creative Academy, to enhance the skills and exposure of approximately 1,500 practitioners in the state’s creative industry.
In the training initiative, EbonyLife Creative Academy will offer free, practical three-month courses for up to 480 learners, covering all aspects of filmmaking and media content production. Through its Creative Lagos programme, Del-York will offer a hybrid of online and offline courses for approximately 1,000 students, in filmmaking, media, arts, technology, and digital marketing.
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According to Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lagos State, the establishment of Lagos State Creative Industries Initiative (LACI) is a critical step towards making Lagos the main hub for Africa’s creative industries. “LACI is a continuation of Lagos State’s commitment to supporting our creative industries, as we drive towards leading Africa in this area and being recognised as a centre of excellence for filmmaking in particular. With a growing pool of practitioners with world-class skills, our creatives can build companies that provide investment and employment for our young people,” she said.
Mo Abudu, CEO, EbonyLife Creative Academy, expressed her delight at the partnership with Lagos State through LACI. “Without the support of the Lagos Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture we would not be able to provide filmmaking courses of this quality free of charge. Our most talented people cannot afford to go abroad for training, so EbonyLife Creative Academy is bringing world-class trainers to Lagos – it is an amazing opportunity for anyone wishing to improve their technical skills,” she said.
On his part, Linus Idahosa, founder of Del-York Creative Academy, commended the state government’s commitment. “Thanks to the unwavering commitment of Governor Sanwo-Olu, our Creative Lagos project will harness talent, technology and technical education to ensure that all participants are exposed to the cutting edge of innovation, making them invaluable to local and global film production companies creating high-quality content in Lagos. We are delighted to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative.”
