Richard Mofe Damijo tasks stakeholders to tap into African roots for global change

…say more potentials in African storytelling

Stakeholders in the movie and creative industry have called for the need to tell more African stories to unlock global opportunities and potentials.

The stakeholders disclosed this at the African coaching week hosted recently in Lagos themed, ‘The AfroCoaching Revolution- Tapping into African wisdom for global change’

Juliet Ibrahim, a Nollywood actress disclosed that African stories are gaining wider audience, explaining the importance of coaching and mentorship to tap into the huge potentials and push global narrative.

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“Storytelling and coaching in Africa has developed and it is becoming a thing because people are realizing the importance of us as Africans telling our own story and having coaches who are brilliant in a particular field helps us as individuals and Nigerians to expand.

“Alot of people misunderstood that I’m every career, you need to have mentors who push and teach you,” Ibrahim said.

The actress also explained the importance of education and self investment in telling authentic stories that portrays real

African identity while emphasising the need for coaching and mentorship.

She encouraged the growing culture of African stories while also stating the fact that “we are behind time, we are only realizing what we have and own but we are getting there.”

Ibrahim also applauded every creative striving to push African narrative across various fields.

“Storytelling is not just the filmmakers, it’s also the Authors. There are several African Authors that have their book adaptation turned to films, animation and so many more and at the end of the day it is our own stories and these things are happening in the Art, film making industry and music like the Afrobeat,” she added.

Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nollywood actor popularly known as RMD urges story tellers to be value driven and tell original stories, condemning the copying of foreign culture in African stories and highlighting its consequences.

“We are soaking up so much from outside and it tends to kill us gradually and erode everything that is our value. Our values and how we approach life is our soft power which is what we need to give to the rest of the world. We have so much to give and don’t need to wait for the opinion if an American life coach to come and tap into our wisdom

“I believe more in life coaching that is Value based or value driven and I think that’s what we need to sell to the rest of the world,” he said.

He disclosed that most African wisdom has been embedded in most of the stories told while encouraging creatives to tell more stories.

Omawumi Ogbe, president Life Coaches Association of Nigeria (LCAN) said this year’s edition of the event aims to showcase the potential of Africans from a place of strength.

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“We are trying to let the world be ready for Africans, we are saying we are not just here to receive but here to give. There is a whole lot more about Africa than just a continent that needs support. We we are tapping into the wisdom and things that makes us who we are and the culture understanding that civilization actually began from here

“We are coming from a place of strength, communicating to career professionals, entrepreneurs, government, leaders and policy makers to know that it’s time to play from a place of strength and go back to the root to be people who drive change,” Ogbe said.

Speaking on the impact of the previous editions of the Life Coaching event, the president explained that it has evolved over the year since 2019 to be one of the biggest catalyst of change, attracting audience from across the globe.