Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said that his administration is giving a cutting-edge opportunity to practitioners in the creative sector to compete favourably with their contemporaries across the globe in the area of directing, cinematography, acting and in all the processes of film production from script to screen.
The governor who addressed a set of creative trainees sponsored by his administration with Del-York Academy in Lagos explained that the investment in human capacity development of practitioners in the creative sector by his administration is aimed at giving the beneficiaries world-class exposure in the creative field.
“We will give you the opportunity that will make you be what you want to be and I believe this will put Lagos and Nigeria in that international space where even players in the international world will look out for you,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.
While expressing excitement with the partnership with Del-York Academy, Sanwo-Olu who joined the event virtually, averred that Del-york Academy, run by Linus Idahosa presented a compelling need for the partnership, being a serious-minded organisation that has put together a first-class faculty for the students.
“I am convinced that this is a journey that all of you will appreciate and a journey that will open up the entire world unto your palms, a journey that will make you a globally competitive professional in the creative industry,” he said.
The governor used the event to inform that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture would also be launching some other products that will help the creative, entertainment and tourism side of the industry in addition to other ongoing support for practitioners in the sector.
Sanwo-Olu assured the trainees that he would be checking on them to examine the training sessions and be assured that the content they are being exposed to will give them the space to become a global player in the world.
“We will give you the opportunity to make you be what you want to be and I believe this will make Lagos and Nigeria in that International space where even players in the international world will look out for you,” the governor said.
He, however, urged the trainees to be serious so that after their training, others will also be beneficiaries of the training and will be able to build a robust ecosystem that everyone will be proud of.
Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile Yussuf, in her remarks, lamented that too many African-themed movies are shot outside of the continent, outside the reach of the African themselves who should be the primary beneficiaries of the attendant economics of these productions.
She explained that the rationale behind the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative (LACI), a concept initiated by her ministry, is to make Lagos; Africa’s entertainment & creative industry capital and to ensure it takes its place in the African continent as the undisputed centre for outsourcing creative talent into the global entertainment industry talent pool.
“The real Lagos has more than enough stories to tell, enough sites and people to feature in these movies without any fear of cultural misrepresentation and or appropriation!” she said.
President of DelYork Academy, Linus Idahosa, lauded the present administration for investing in the creative sector, describing Sanwo-Olu as a forward-thinking governor and futuristic in his administration.
He said, “we believe that Lagos State can become the human capital and base for creative industry across the country and we believe that the seed has been sown among the students who are being sponsored today.
“So on behalf of Del-York academy, on behalf of all the people in Del-York crew, we want to say a very big thank you to the entire members of the Lagos State government and we want to say a very big thank you for supporting this initiative.”
One of the beneficiaries who gave a testimonial at the event, Deji Olatunde, praised the state government for accessing world-class international training in Nigeria for zero naira amid the pandemic.
Olatunde said “we believe this is not just a pivotal point but history in the making because we know Nigerians are very creative but no formal structured training was in place.
“This initiative allows us to interact with world-class people, it also gives us a way to structure our thinking to put forth materials to change the narrative in a way to link up with the world-class.
