SMEDAN Unveils Film Academy in Abuja, Offers Courses in Film Technology
By Aluta News
May 04, 2024
As part of measures to further empower, create wealth, and reduce poverty among Nigerian youths, the SMEDAN Idea Film Academy has trained over 200 persons since 2022.
The founder of the academy, Mr. Adeolu Adeyemo, made this known during a news conference in Abuja.
The news conference was also to premiere the movie “Fitila” during the first ever creative SME Exhibition and Film Festival, tagged “C-SMEFF.”
Mr. Adeyemo, who is also the CEO of Idea Box Worldwide, said the organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, SMEDAN, in 2022 to discover and train talented youths in Abuja and Port Harcourt in the creative industry, which later led to the establishment of the SMEDAN Idea Film Academy.
According to him, the academy has now been affiliated with the City Polytechnic, Abuja, to offer courses and issue certificates in film technology, which will commence in June this year.
“SMEDAN Idea Film Academy can now offer a three-month course to issue certificates, while six months are for professional and advanced certificates, which will be highly recognized for practice within and outside Nigeria,” Mr. Adeyemo stated.
He explained that graduates of the academy who were recently trained had already produced a film to discourage sex trafficking and drug abuse in society, which would also premiere soon in Abuja.
“It is also worthy of note that the Academy is also collaborating with financial institutions that will give one digit loans to graduates of the Academy for Startup Pack and other facilities needed to fully establish themselves in filmmaking towards becoming self-reliant and contributing to national economic development.
In a remark, the Director General of SMEDAN, Mr. Charles Odii, said the establishment of the SMEDAN Idea Film Academy is in line with the Talent Hunt programme of the agency, towards making Nigerian youths productive and self-reliant in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Mr. Odii, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Enterprises Development and Promotion, in SMEDAN, Mrs. Charity Abah, who commended the Academy for discovering and training talented youths in filmmaking, stated that the agency would continue to collaborate with necessary stakeholders in promoting entrepreneurship skills among the youth.
Also speaking, the representative of City Polytechnic, Abuja, Mr. John Dennis, said affiliating the academy with the institution would further promote academic excellence and harness the transformative benefits of the nation’s film industry.
Mr. Dennis, who is the librarian of the polytechnic, added that the move would also contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s film and cinema industry.