Media entrepreneur cum movie producer, Mo Abudu is expanding her tentacles to cover as much ground as possible in the creative industry with the recent launch of her EbonyLife Creative Academy (ELCA), to groom industry professionals.
The initiative is in collaboration with the Lagos State Government through Lagos State Creative Industries Initiative (LACI), under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Already, registration for anyone interested in pursuing a career in the movie business is on.
With Nollywood being the world’s third-largest film industry in terms of volume, Abudu who is the CEO of EbonyLife, believes ELCA is a good step towards creating a value chain built on international best practice in production quality.
“We have so much talent in Nigeria and our people are ready to work. Unfortunately, very little training is available locally and most people cannot afford to go abroad for training. EbonyLife Creative Academy is meant to fill that gap and make world-class training available. Thankfully, the governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, understood our vision and gave us the support we needed to establish the academy here in Lagos, the hub of Nigerian filmmaking,” she said.
Reacting to the launch of the ELCA, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Hon. Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said, ELCA is exactly what Lagos needs at this time.
“As we begin to emerge from the shadow of this global pandemic, it is heartwarming to know that we can look forward to an increase in activity in the movie industry, which provides so many jobs and supports so many small businesses. EbonyLife Creative Academy will be a catalyst for growth in this sector,” she said.
Training for interested participants for ELCA will take place at Abudu’s multi million naira EbonyLife Place in Victoria Island, Lagos, with state-of-the-art lecture rooms, projection and sound facilities, studio workshop spaces, and post-production facilities fitted with the latest technology to make leaning pleasurable. The academy’s short courses and programmes are also designed to provide both seasoned professionals and beginners with the essential technical, creative and practical skills for the film and TV industry.
