Animation gets more global support than in Nigeria-Kugali co-founder

Tolu Olowofoyeku, co-founder of Kugali Media, said that international communities show more support for animation than the Nigerian government, slowing the industry’s growth.

He disclosed this at the ongoing Lagos ComicCon, themed ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Creativity’ held at the Landmark event centre on Saturday, 22 September 2023.

He said, “If the Nigerian government were supporting the industry like the international community, it would grow more than it is currently. Most of the support we get from art and cultural industries is from the UK, France and others. They support African art more than the Nigerian government does.”

He added that the Nigerian Comic creators have looked beyond the country and moved to gain an audience from international communities who value the work more. He said that many Nigerians don’t have the purchasing power to get the books.

“We don’t limit ourselves to the Nigerian audience. This is 2023, and the world is accessible to everybody through the internet. So we target the global audience,” Olowofoyeku said.

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Christophe Pecot, Audiovisual Attache French Embassy in Nigeria, said the absence of an animation school in Nigeria is a big challenge, slowing the industry’s growth.

Pecot said, “Training section must be developed because there is no animation school in Nigeria to develop the animation industry, and that’s why we are trying to develop some training sections with some Nigerian and French experts.”

The French representative explained that the training school would help creators pitch their projects and get international audiences.

He said supporting Nigeria’s creative industry is a priority, stating they are organising a visionary event in Paris for African talents.

Like Nollywood, Pecot added that animation content consumes much time and money. Still, they keep showing support because it is the best way to tell African stories and promote the culture of Africa.