Four-time Head of Jury of Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) and founding Producer of Nigeria’s longest-running soap, TINSEL, Femi Odugbemi, has stressed the need for more collaboration to unlock the potential in the film industry.

According to Odugbemi, Africa nay Nigeria have beautiful stories to tell particularly with our diversity. “The most education is self-dedication. Our diversity as a people can be leveraged for more exploits and we can’t do this without partnership. You can’t be a thinker if you don’t talk to people. Connection, support, collaboration and partnership are what keep the creative industry in Nigeria booming and we need youths to dream bigger and think of a better Nigeria.”

He spoke at the Microscope Project, which started a year ago, with the aim of empowering young creatives and the promotion of national and democratic values for impactful social change.

In their welcome address, the co-founders of Uvisuals Studios and founders of Ark and Rainbow Development Foundation, Tunde Raphael and Ifenla Oligbinde, said in the last year, the project has built the capacity of participants on digital tools, grassroots mobilisation, and other relevant subjects that would help them make social change in the society.

They said that the fellows have also actively participated in producing a social impact short film (Lotus), which was screened on the day of the event.

Uvisuals Studios and Ark and Rainbow Development Foundation with support from the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund and LEAP Africa graduated a total of 20 young Microscope Fellows aged 20 and 25 in tertiary institutions across Lagos State. They were presented with certificates as Fellows with four additional youths awarded as dynamic changemakers in Lagos State.

Supported by the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation and Luminate Group, and initiated in 2021, the NYFF Project is a five-year initiative dedicated to strengthening, supporting and enabling the youth in leadership, activism and social change through outcome-driven policy engagements and inclusive resourcing that will support youth in shaping and supporting medium and long term national development.