By Yemisi Suleiman

The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recently announced its latest strategic partnership with Ascend Studios, a creative-industry organization providing capacity building, mentorship, social, educational, and economic empowerment to women and youth to propel Nigeria’s creative sector.
This partnership will catalyze additional funding to strengthen Nigeria’s burgeoning Nollywood industry with additional partners including Paramount Nigeria, Venture Garden Group, and renowned music executive Ralph Simon. Labelled the Africa Creative Blueprint, this strategic partnership will strengthen Nigerian youth with the skills and resources needed to compete in the creative industry and also elevate Nigerian creatives to the international stage.
USAID Nigeria Mission Director Melissa Jones remarked, “The U.S. government is eager to enhance Nigeria’s capacity as a leading player in the creative economy and encourage global partnerships. This partnership will create a stream of high-quality, commercially viable content that can compete on the world stage.”

While Nigeria’s film industry has achieved global recognition, it faces structural challenges that hinder its full economic and creative potential. Key areas for improvement include expanding film distribution channels, enhancing production quality through advanced equipment, developing stronger screenwriting and story development practices, and reinforcing intellectual property protections. Addressing these gaps would enable the creative sector to capture a broader audience and support more sustainable revenue streams for filmmakers.
To address these challenges, USAID teamed up with the Nigerian and American private sectors to launch the Africa Creative Blueprint. At the core of the collective $3.5 million investment, the Africa Creative Blueprint will provide intensive training skills in TV production to 3,500 Nigerian youth, and develop a skilled TV workforce of at least 200 youth to create a high-quality, music-infused 13-episode TV drama. The TV drama will be a powerful medium to convey social messages, promote positive change, and foster inclusive growth and equitable opportunity in Nigeria.
The training will take place across six Nigerian cities—Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Benin, and Asaba—ensuring wide-reaching access to this unique development opportunity.
The Africa Creative Blueprint is now accepting applications for the training program and cast/crew member employment. The program will select directors, writers, producers, production coordinators/managers, editors, production designers, cinematographers, costumiers, assistant directors, actors/actresses, composers, sound designers, lawyers, accountants, and production finance professionals (including sales agents).
“We are honoured to be selected as the recipient of USAID funding,” said Inya Lawal, CEO of Ascend Studios. “This collaboration represents a milestone for the Nigerian creative sector and opens opportunities for us to elevate African stories on a global platform. Through this initiative, we are building the infrastructure needed to develop world-class creative talent capable of transforming the industry.