Social Media Giant Facebook has entered into an agreement with creative hub and entertainment mobile application Afrinolly to launch Facebook for creators in a bid to equip Nigeria’s content creators with “the skills to thrive in a digital world.”
The programme aimed particularly at creative entrepreneurs and students of journalism will feature multi-city trainings that will help artists, photographers, designers, filmmakers and other creatives leverage digital tools to gain more visibility around their work and engage with, and grow their audiences.
Speaking on the latest development, Sherry Dzinoreva, Policy Programs Manager, EMEA at Facebook said, “We know that the future of Africa is young, and that creative community here in Nigeria is amongst the most exciting and very best in the world.
Our partnership with Afrinolly and the curation of this bespoke training reinforces our commitment to the continent, and Nigeria. Our goal is to continue to support and invest in young and diverse creative talent, and this is just another step.”
Interestingly, according to iAfrikan, the package also includes a specially adapted “Facebook Journalism Project” training for journalism students. The interactive journalism module is said to explore and discuss tips and best practices, ways to discover information and distribute work using social media, and how to engage and build audiences around their reporting.
“We regularly visit newsrooms to learn and share, and host journalists from around the world to discuss best practices so the skills learned will become an invaluable resource. This adapted training for the future journalists of Nigeria, will provide the valuable skills needed in this digital age,” said Sarah Brown, News Training and Literacy, Media Partnerships, EMEA at Facebook.
Free for participants, the Facebook for Creators Programme is set to rollout in cities across Nigeria, including Abuja, Lagos, Jos and Kaduna.
“We are very excited at the opportunity Facebook is providing media and creative entrepreneurs in Nigeria to increase both engagement and monetization. We are happy that Facebook is partnering with a multimedia content creation hub, like Afrinolly Creative Hub for this initiative,” said Chike Maduegbuna, CEO at Afrinolly.
