With a focus on deepening the content of Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood, video-sharing platform, YouTube has trained filmmakers in Nigeria. The training also focuses on training the filmmakers on the business of YouTube, monetisation, optimisation, how the algorithm works, and how they can use Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking on the training tagged, YouTube for Filmmakers, YouTube Product Marketing Manager, Sub-Sahara Africa, Adetutu Laditan, said it is designed to support the film industry with the tools and resources it needs to thrive.
“YouTube is an open channel where anyone can set up but there is need to understand more on what it means to tell stories to the audience, what it means to monetise the channel because at the end of the day, there must be a means to sustain creativity and understand the technicality of the platform, reason for organising the three days workshop where we give the filmmakers all they need to know from the business of YouTube, monetisation, optimisation, how our algorithm works, and how they can use Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Right now, with AI the work of a creator can be simplified, from the script, editing and others and that is what the programme is all about. We have come together and brought in over 300 filmmakers and our goal is to enrich them and hope they take the learning to grow their platforms.”
Speaking also, Google Communication and Public Relations Manager in West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said: “AI label was introduced on YouTube in March 2024 so, if you create an AI generated content on YouTube, the label will be there.
“Africa’s biggest export is content and we just need to ensure that our creatives and storytellers are telling amazing stories to the world. 70 per cent of people watching Nigerian content are watching outside Nigeria. We must help the creators to earn money. This is a huge industry.”
On his part, the Executive Director (ED), National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Husseini, who spoke at the workshop, addressed some of the challenges faced and promised a more friendlier and timely approach.
He said: “I am working to make sure that the comeback time is reduced. If classification used to be ready in two weeks, now it will not take beyond 48 hours for feature-length films to be ready and five hours for short content.”
Addressing the platform, he said: “YouTube needs to put a structure in place where we can report contents that don’t meet our own standard. I am aware YouTube has community standards but what may be the community standard in the US may not be the community standard in Nigeria.”
