Creative Industry Experts Hail US Mission’s Drive to Boost Social Media Skits in Nigeria
James Emejo in Abuja
Experts in the Nigerian creative industry have commended efforts by the US Mission in Nigeria, aimed at celebrating and empowering young Nigerian talents.
The mission launched the Social Media Skit Contest Award Ceremony to encourage and support the next generation of talents, inspiring them to harness the power of “Made in America” innovations to improve their lives and advance their skills.
The latest edition of the award ceremony in Abuja, with the theme: ‘Made in America, Loved in Nigeria’, followed a highly competitive social media contest, where talented young Nigerians from across the country showcased their skills and creativity.
Organisers said there was an overwhelming response, during the week-long contest with over 30 entries received, culminating into a rigorous selection process, leading to the shortlisting of five exceptional finalists, who were invited to the award ceremony to showcase their talents.
The award further reflected the US Mission’s commitment to fostering a community of young Nigerians who appreciate and leverage American creativity, expertise, and resources to drive positive change.
Speaking to THISDAY shortly after the awards, former Director, FCT Council for Arts and Culture, Kayode Ayegbusi, described the event as a “wonderful initiative by the US Mission”.
He said, “Apart from the fact that it promotes the bilateral relations already existing between both countries, you can imagine the number of our young people that this has—if I may use a general word—gingered their creativity.”
“You can imagine the number of entries, just for this first edition. You know that the more people get to hear about this, and the more they see that people actually won something good, the next edition, I can tell you, we may even need to control the entries. So, it’s a very good initiative.
“It gives our young people the opportunity to explore, to show what they have, and to showcase their talent. It’s not even just about showing American products, but look at the way they have crafted these stories.
“If I went to the first shoot—the first five—before they announced the winner, I had already told the people I was sitting with that I knew who my favourite was, because she told the story very well. She brought in the Nigerianness in her story, even while talking about the American product. So it was a beautiful one for me.”
Ayegbusi said the initiative should be sustained and expanded on a bigger scale, adding “It is something that would open doors to other programmes. So, I think it’s a very beautiful initiative, and I hope other missions too will see things like this, take a cue from it, and key into it.”
Also, Filmmaker/Secretary, Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Abuja Chapter, Dr. Tola Balogun, hailed the initiative as having the potential to boost the social media creativity in the country.
He told THISDAY, “We have our own products, ranging from food to technology, food and all sorts of things. So, having a contest like this to improve and help develop the creative sector is quite commendable. I say ‘commendable’ because the majority of the people this contest is meant for are those who are just starting out in the creative industry.
“Having this kind of platform provided for them is a very beautiful thing. And for me, as a filmmaker, I see that it is also going to be very good to have this kind of partnership with America.
“What it means is that in the nearest future, we can begin to look at even doing co-produced movies and also addressing other topical issues such as climate change, migration, terrorism, peace-building, and so on. So, I see this innovation as a very good one, and I believe it is a very good partnership for both America and Nigeria.”
On his part, professional stand-up comedian, actor, and singer, Sarkin Dariya, noted that the initiative was all about the exchange of value and the symbiotic relationship between the US Mission and the Nigerian state.
Dariya, who was one of the resource persons for the competition, said the process had created an avenue for creativity within the Nigerian space—whether in the city centre or in other states of the federation—to come together and put their minds to work.
According to him, the competition seeks to foster relationships between creative minds in Nigeria and those in the United States.
He said, “From what I understand, this is also in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America. It is a way of spreading their wings across every region or state with which they have a bilateral relationship.
“I was one of the facilitators at one of the events that took place, the Skits Lab, where we shared our journey with aspiring skit makers—our success stories, the hurdles we faced, and, of course, we gave them hope. We also taught them the specific skills and approaches they can use to achieve success, just as we have done so far.
“It was quite a beautiful experience, and a lot of people left the programme more refined and better. That is basically what I know this initiative is all about.”
