The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced its strategic partnership with Ascend Studios.
Ascend Studios creative-industry provides mentorship, social, educational, and economic empowerment to women and youth to propel Nigeria’s creative sector.
As USAID Partners with Ascend Studios, partners like Paramount Nigeria, Venture Garden Group, and renowned music executive Ralph Simon joins.
The Africa Creative Blueprint USAID partners with Ascend studios elevating Nigerian creatives skills and resources to the international stage.
USAID Nigeria Mission Director Melissa Jones remarked, “The U.S. government is eager to enhance Nigeria’s capacity as a leading player in the creative economy and encourage global partnerships. this partnership will create a stream of high-quality, commercially viable content that can compete on the world stage.”
Areas of Improvement In Nigeria’s Film Industry
While Nigeria’s film industry has achieved global recognition,it faces structural challenges that hinder its full economic and creative potential.
Key areas for improvement include:expanding film distribution channels, enhancing production quality through advanced equipment, developing stronger screenwriting and story development practices, and reinforcing intellectual property protections.
Addressing these gaps enables the creative sector to capture a broader audience and support more sustainable revenue streams for filmmakers.
To address these challenges, USAID teamed up with the Nigerian and American private sectors to launch the Africa Creative Blueprint. At the core of the collective $3.5 million investment, the Africa Creative Blueprint will provide intensive training skills in TV production to 3,500 Nigerian youth, and develop a skilled TV workforce of at least 200 youth to create a high-quality, music-infused 13-episode TV drama.
The TV drama is a medium to convey social messages, promote positive change, foster growth and equitable opportunity in Nigeria.
The training will take place across six Nigerian cities—Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Benin, and Asaba—ensuring wide-reaching access to this unique development opportunity.
The Africa Creative Blueprint is now accepting applications for the training program and cast/crew member employment. However the program will select directors, writers, producers, production coordinators/managers, editors, production designers, cinematographers, costumiers, assistant directors, actors/actresses, composers, sound designers, lawyers, accountants, and production finance professionals (including sales agents).
“We are honored to be selected as the recipient of USAID funding,” said Inya Lawal, CEO of Ascend Studios. In conclusion,this collaboration represents a milestone for the Nigerian creative sector and opens opportunities for us to elevate African stories on a global platform. Through this initiative, we are building the infrastructure needed to develop world-class creative talent capable of transforming the industry
For more information and application, visit us on https://www.ascendss.com/acb/ and ascendglobalstudios on all social media platforms.
Application Deadline: December 15, 2024.
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