Kunle Afolayan, MasterCard to train 300,000 youths in film production

Kunle Afolayan, chief executive officer of KAP Film and Television Academy, says 300,000 young Nigerians will be trained in film, television, and motion picture production over the next three years after a partnership between his outfit and Mastercard Foundation was announced in Lagos.

Afolayan said in a statement that KAP Film and Television Academy is one of the specialised service subsidiaries at the KAP hub in Lagos, which was formally unveiled to the public on September 30, 2021.

He said the academy will leverage smartphone technology for the training programme, while teaching will be conducted through a learning app.

Afolayan said: “The KAP App is a mobile learning application where multimedia content, which includes video and audio lessons, visual presentations, video simulations and interactive testing will be delivered to the students.

“It will allow students to have access to interactive learning content, industry professionals, community forums, an electronic library, a job board, financial support, contacts, and links among other.

“To ensure young people enroll in the programme and have access to the tools required for digital learning, free tuition and smartphone devices will be offered to students from less privileged backgrounds. These tools are being provided through a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and its Young Africa Works program in Nigeria.”

According to him, training programme will include the Masterclass series, a virtual series of 20 episodes providing e-learning to aspiring filmmakers, covering several aspects of film making from directing, cinematography and the business of film, using his movie, The Figurine, as a case study.

Chidinma Lawanson, the Nigeria country head of Mastercard Foundation, said though the Nigerian film industry (Nollywood) produces approximately 20,000 films annually and generates estimated revenues of up to $600 million, movie producers still find it difficult to reach their full potential economically. She added that the training will bridge the existing gap.

Lawanson said: “Nollywood is the largest film industry in Africa and the third largest globally, after Hollywood and Bollywood. Despite this growth and scale, many important aspects of the industry remain informal and fragmented.

“As a result, very few practitioners can reach their full potential creatively and economically. The partnership with KAP has the potential to enable at least 102,500 work opportunities for youth in the vibrant creative industry in Nigeria.”