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•Partners on masterclass programmes across Nigeria
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), the training and development programme that supports Africa’s creative industry, is marking eight years of investment in Nigeria’s creative industry with a new series of 13 regional masterclasses aimed at film and television practitioners across the country.
The programme forms part of MTF’s eight-year investment in developing skills within Nigeria’s creative industry. The masterclasses will be held in partnership with film festivals, guilds and other industry organisations across different regions, with sessions designed to provide practitioners with practical knowledge on current developments and opportunities within the industry.
The first masterclass, the International Sales and Distribution Executive (ISDE) Masterclass, was held on 24 August 2026, in partnership with the Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS). Held under the theme, “From Script to Market: The Future of Cinema in Africa,” the session brought together filmmakers, producers and other industry professionals to examine the business of taking films from production to audiences and markets.
The masterclass featured Kene Mkparu, President/CEO of KOMWORLD Cinemas and Studio KOM Film Production and Distribution; Funmi Onuma, Cinema Expert and Thought Leader; and Ijeoma Onah, Founder of NIFS and a Film and Television Industry Leader. Discussions covered international sales, distribution and the commercial considerations involved in taking African films to wider markets.
Speaking at the session, MTF Academy Director, Akaoma Onyeonoru, stressed the importance of understanding the business side of filmmaking alongside the creative process.
“It is one thing to make a movie and another thing for that movie to travel for the world to see,” she said.
Onyeonoru noted that the ability of African stories to travel is important to how the continent tells and controls its own narratives, adding that effective distribution is critical to ensuring that African films reach audiences beyond their immediate markets.
The second session, the Africa Microdrama Summit, held on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, focused on the growth of short-form scripted content and changing audience consumption habits. The session was themed, “The Future of Africa Storytelling: Powering Africa’s Mobile-First Entertainment Economy.”
The panel featured Atinuke Babatunde, Executive Head, Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice Nigeria; Ifeoma Oma Areh, Founder, Digital Creator Africa Academy (DCAA) for Microdrama; Brenda Fashugba, Co-Founder, Women in the Arts; Samira Hamidi, Country Manager, Digital Virgo; and Elija Afi, Co-Founder, Digital Creator Africa Academy (DCAA).
The discussion examined the rise of microdrama, the changing ways audiences consume content and the opportunities the format presents for African storytellers.
The masterclass series will continue in other parts of Nigeria, including Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Abuja and Kano. Partners for the programme include the Wole Soyinka Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, Ibadan International Film Festival, Pan-Atlantic University International Students’ Film Festival, Twin City International Film Festival, Rivers International Film Festival and Kano Indigenous Languages Film Festival
