Over the last decade, Mo Abudu has stayed consistent in narrating Nollywood’s potential to mainstream audience. Following her Sony Television and Netflix first-look film and TV deal, Abudu has launched EbonyLife Creative Academy, stationed in Lagos.
The establishment aims at providing free, practical short courses, designed by industry experts, across all aspects of filmmaking and media content production, for both aspiring as well as industry experts looking to expand or advance their skillset.
”As a HR practitioner, I have been and will always be a firm believer in training and development. So, wanting to create a Creative Academy has been a wish and a personal desire for as long as I have been in this industry,” Abudu wrote in a statement.
”To be counted amongst the best content producers in the world, training and development is key. To truly make Lagos a destination for media and entertainment, a trained workforce in our industry is critical,” Abudu added.
EbonyLife Academy is supported by Lagos State Government through Lagos State Creative Industries Initiative (LACI), under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
On admission now, are 120 creatives forming the first batch of trainees of the Academy.
“The creative Academy, we are opening today, is the culmination of several months of planning and strategising in which we are seeking the best way to offer high-quality but free training to aspiring and established creative practitioners.” Said Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. ”The idea of the creative Academy was first mooted during this administration’s pre-inauguration planning, during which we formulated impactful policies and programmes for the creative sector and other areas.”
He added, “I am excited to see that we are making remarkable progress in achieving our key vision for the education, technology, and creative sectors. This facility aptly captures our vision for a rejuvenated creative sector where practitioners can be trained and retrained at no cost. The State Government is extremely proud to have this world-class institution in Lagos, as we continue to consolidate our position as the cultural hub of Africa.”
EbonyLife Creative Academy joins the slate of EbonyLife-owned structures, which includes EbonyLife Place, a lifestyle and entertainment resort as well as EbonyLife TV & Films, which has served as a backdrop to some of Nollywood’s most-celebrated works.
In 2016, ‘The Wedding Party’ starring Sola Sobowale and Richard Mofe-Damijo became the highest grossing film in Nollywood, until Funke Akindele Bello’s 2020 film ‘Omo Ghetto – The Saga’ ousted it from the top spot.
The launch of the Academy was heavily attended by Nollywood big names including Kate Henshaw, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Rita Dominic, Ini Edo, Joke Silva among others.
