From Kubwa to the Screen: The Rise of Nigerian Animator Willy Kanga

From paying barbers to use their electricity outlets to charge his devices, to mentoring more than a thousand aspiring creatives, Nigerian animator Williams Etombi — known professionally as Willy Kanga — describes his journey as one shaped by discipline rather than luck.

Born and raised in Kubwa, a district on the outskirts of Abuja in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Etombi grew up in what he describes as a typical middle-class African household of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Resources were carefully managed, and much of his childhood was spent outdoors playing street games with friends and siblings.

“I started drawing at a very early age,” he says. “Cartoons, human figures, characters I saw on television.”

That early fascination with visual storytelling later intersected with formal education. Etombi earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Architecture — a field he chose because of his strong background in both art and science. While at university, he supported himself by producing large portrait drawings for clients, while also participating in campus drama, writing scripts, directing plays, and performing on stage.

He now views animation as a convergence of all these experiences, combining architectural structure, visual art, and storytelling into a single creative medium.

His transition into animation was gradual. He moved from theatre production to skit-making with friends before eventually focusing fully on animated content. He says there was no single breakthrough moment, but rather a steady realisation that animation offered broader creative control.

Financial challenges marked the early stages of his career. To purchase his first animation tablet, Etombi took out a loan. With inconsistent electricity supply, he sometimes paid local barbers between 500 and 1,000 naira to use their power outlets so he could continue working. At the time, some dismissed his work as “just cartoons,” not yet recognising the potential of digital animation as a source of income.

Balancing postgraduate studies with content creation also proved challenging. He experienced academic setbacks during his master’s programme but ultimately completed his degree without extension.

Off-camera, Etombi describes himself as calm, calculated, and soft-spoken. He considers himself an ambivert — comfortable organising public events and engaging socially, while also protecting his personal space for creativity and reflection. He says his consistency is driven more by discipline than motivation, with short-term goals supporting long-term ambitions.

His animation ideas begin with written scripts. Inspiration often comes from trending music, national conversations, or everyday experiences. Production time varies significantly, ranging from a single day to several weeks depending on whether projects involve brand partnerships, music promotion, or independent storytelling.

Etombi says he has mentored more than 1,000 aspiring animators through structured training programmes designed to make animation education more accessible than traditional film schools. He believes the rise of African digital animation reflects a broader shift in how young creators use social media to reach global audiences.

He views artificial intelligence as a helpful production tool but maintains that human creativity remains central to storytelling.

Looking ahead, Etombi hopes to expand into animated film production and use animation to address social and political themes in Nigeria. He is also developing merchandise based on his animated characters while exploring philanthropic initiatives aimed at supporting emerging creatives.

For a creator who once relied on borrowed electricity to complete his work, his ambition now extends far beyond social media — toward shaping how Nigerian stories are told, and who gets to tell them.