Debisibusybee Media’s Everything Audio Theatre (EAT) programme has graduated its first cohort of students from its 3-part Audio Drama Course covering story development, scriptwriting, and production.

The virtual course, which ran over a three-month period, saw eight out of eleven participants complete the programme. Graduates were drawn from Nigeria, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and were issued certificates upon completion.

The graduation ceremony, held on June 14, 2025, featured notable industry professionals from media, film, development and government. Mrs. Data Phido, Executive Director of the African Radio Drama Association – Development Communication Inc. (ARDA-DCI), delivered the keynote address on “The Future of Audio Storytelling in Nigeria.”

In her remarks, Phido highlighted the resilience of audio formats, stating: “Is radio still a valid medium of communication? Is it something that is worthwhile for people to work in or should we move forward and look at more audiovisual formats and so on?

“I remember everywhere you went in the 90s, everybody said, ‘Is radio dead?’ Nobody’s asking that anymore. So, radio as a channel is not dying out anytime soon as far as I can see. In fact, we have over 1,000 radio stations in Nigeria, and I’m not counting the internet radios. Then everybody has a podcast.

So, if you go to podcast apps, you’re going to be getting a lot of audio materials. We have internet-based radios, we have podcasts, we have all kinds of audio formats. So I believe that there is a future for storytelling in audio formats.”

Other guests present included Mrs. Funke Fagbemi, Executive Director, Centre for Communications and Social Impact (CCSI); Mr. Sola Fagorusi, Executive Director, Onelife Initiative; Mr. Oladayo Ogunbowale, Special Adviser on Communications and Official Compere to the Governor of Oyo State; and Mrs. Bolatito Joseph, former Zonal Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

Adebisi Adetunji, the Course Creator and Lead Instructor, shared the programme’s origins and mission. “Who knew that what began for me as a love for storytelling through scriptwriting, directing, and producing numerous stories for radio at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria several years ago would one day become an opportunity to teach others the art of audio storytelling for entertainment and social impact.

My goal is to ensure that audio/radio drama storytellers get equipped with skills required to tell compelling and professionally sound Nigerian and African stories. Also, it is an opportunity to equip colleagues in the media and creative space with extra earning skills. I am excited to be able to contribute to the advancement of audio/radio drama in Nigeria and Africa as a whole through this course.”

The course faculty included Tokunbo Dada, Assistant Creative/Course Lead; Oluwasogo Faloye, IT and AI Tools Instructor; and Adeyemi Adetunji, Education Advisor.

The curriculum covered the history of audio theatre, elements of story development and scriptwriting, and stages of production including pre- and post-production. Students participated in three webinars facilitated by Phido, Dada, and Faloye, covering topics such as storytelling for audio, script translation, and use of AI in production.

Participants developed synopses, drafted full scripts, and managed production processes using AI tools and professional sound studios. Their productions include titles such as *Forbidden Frequency*, *Unfazed*, *Tomiwa*, *The Kuti Palava*, *The Candidate*, and *The Marriage Pact*. These works inspired the launch of the @EAThood YouTube channel, where audiences can listen to completed audio plays, receive updates on future courses, and access a sound bank of African audio effects.

Graduates shared positive feedback about the course. Gbenga Oyelakin from the US said, “The Audio Drama Course was an engaging and informative experience that provided valuable insights into the world of audio storytelling.

The course’s structure and content effectively balanced theoretical foundations with practical applications, allowing me to develop a deeper understanding of audio drama production.” Afolasade Osigwe from the UK described it as “a worthwhile period of learning, unlearning and re-learning,” while Adetoke Orekoya from Nigeria highlighted the hands-on experience in bringing a script to production.

Olumide Olaniyi, also from Nigeria, said the course gave him the technical depth he had been seeking after years of sitting in on development-sector audio drama design sessions.

The second cohort of the course is scheduled to begin on July 5, 2025. The programme remains fully virtual and is open to participants aged 18 and above, with a passion for storytelling, writing, or production.