Mastercard to Train 300,000 Nigerians in TV and Movie Production

Mastercard is planning to train 300,000 young Nigerians in TV and movie production over the next three years. The training will be done in collaboration with Kunle Afolayan Production (KAP). Although 50% of the participants will be female, the entire participants will be trained in TV, movie, motion picture production.

Aspects of the training programme will cover film directing, cinematography, screenwriting, sounds, content editing, production design, and movie business among others. Using actor Kunle Afolayan’s The Figurine as a case study, participants will also have the opportunity of taking part in the Masterclass Series.

The Masterclass Series is a virtual series comprising 20 episodes through e-learning technologies. At the end of the programme, participants will be able to access profitable employment in the movie industry, as well as explore opportunities in related fields such as fashion, make-up, script-writing, music scores, editing, and marketing among others.

To be admitted for the programme, potential applicants must be between ages 18-35. They must also submit a one-minute video pitch which will be used to determine their suitability based on their skills, passion, and socio-economic statuses.

Mastercard through the Young Africa Works initiative will provide free tuition, digital tools, and smartphone devices to indigent participants who get accepted into the programme.

The Country Head of the Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria, Chidinma Lawanson, noted that Nigeria is the largest producer of movies in Africa and the third largest in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood. She revealed that Nollywood produces about 20,000 movies every year and generates about $600 million in revenue annually.

“Despite this growth and scale, many important aspects of the industry remain informal and fragmented,” Lawanson said. “As a result, very few practitioners can reach their full potential creatively and economically. The Foundation’s partnership with KAP has the potential to enable at least 102,500 work opportunities for youth in the vibrant creative industry in Nigeria.”

Kunle Afolayan, founder and CEO of KAP, said veteran actors and professional movie producers will be on hand to train participants who will grow up to become the next generation of skilled filmmakers in the country. He added that the KAP app will be deployed extensively for the use of students.

“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,” Afolayan disclosed. “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 others.”