The Nigerian inventive trade has undergone a serious face elevate during the last decade, changing into one of many nation’s fastest-growing sectors.
From Nollywood’s world affect to the rise of Afrobeats, Nigeria has firmly established itself as a cultural powerhouse, exporting expertise and tales throughout the globe.
This development is now extending into new frontiers, with animation rising as a key space of innovation.
The native animation trade, although nonetheless in its infancy, is driving the wave of this broader inventive renaissance. Simply as Nigeria’s music and movie industries have flourished by telling genuine African tales, animators are drawing from the identical wealthy effectively of indigenous folklore, historical past, and tradition.
By means of 2D and 3D animation, Nigerian studios are creating narratives that not solely entertain but in addition protect cultural identification.
These animators aren’t simply filling a niche in youngsters’s leisure—they’re reimagining the best way African tales are informed on a world stage, contributing to the inventive sector’s general development. Very like Nollywood, Nigerian animation is poised to turn into a cultural export, spreading the essence of Africa via visually charming and culturally resonant tasks.
On the coronary heart of this motion are the pioneering founders of animation studios, who’re dedicated to breaking into the worldwide market and giving Nigerian youngsters—and audiences worldwide—content material that displays their heritage.
Niyi Akinmolayan-Founder Anthill Studios
Niyi Akinmolayan is the Founder and Artistic Director of Anthill Studios, one among Nigeria’s main manufacturing homes, identified for its innovation in movie, animation, and media. With over 15 years of expertise, Niyi targeted on Nigerian leisure trade, specializing in directing, producing, and media consulting.
In 2022, Niyi secured a groundbreaking take care of Amazon Prime Video, making Anthill Studios the second Nigerian studio to land a serious licensing settlement with the worldwide streaming platform.
Anthill Studios is famend for its creativity and consistency, producing a number of brief animations yearly for almost a decade. Their most formidable mission thus far is Mikolo, a high-budget animation geared toward revolutionizing the African animation panorama with its large N120 million manufacturing finances. Niyi’s management at Anthill Studios displays his deep ardour for mixing African tradition with cutting-edge visible storytelling.
Previous to founding Anthill Studios in 2009, Niyi labored as a **Senior Put up Supervisor and Artistic Director at Genesis Studios, the place he created TV commercials, music movies, and animation results for characteristic movies. He additionally held a job as a Movement Graphics Designer and Visible Results Artist at NANTOONS, contributing to broadcast results for TV and commercials.
Niyi holds a Greater Nationwide Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering** from Yaba School of Know-how, the place he graduated with First Class honors.
Roye Okupe –Founder Youneek Studios
Roye Okupe is a trailblazing filmmaker, creator, and entrepreneur who based YouNeek Studios in 2015, pushed by his ardour for comics and animation.
His imaginative and prescient has been to create various superheroes and animated tales rooted in African tradition, historical past, and mythology. Roye’s work contains the critically acclaimed Malika – Warrior Queen animated brief and the debut graphic novel E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams, a sci-fi epic set in Lagos. His tales have garnered consideration from CNN, Forbes, and The New York Occasions, amongst others.
In 2020, Roye’s graphic novel Malika – Warrior Queen received the Glypc Comedian Awards’ Story of the 12 months. Roye’s affect was additional cemented by his groundbreaking 10-book take care of Darkish Horse Comics. He has additionally obtained notable recognitions, akin to Ventures Africa’s Prime 40 African Innovators and a nomination for the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Variety in Comics.
Just lately, Cartoon Community and Max introduced the all-Nigerian forged for Iyanu: Youngster of Marvel, an adaptation of the graphic novel sequence by Roye Okupe.
The forged additionally contains TV persona Okey Jude as Biyi, Samuel Kugbiyi as Toye, and Nollywood stars Adesua Etomi-Wellington as Olori, Blossom Chukwujekwu as Kanfo, and Stella Damasus as Sewa. Shaffy Bello and Ike Ononye additionally joined the forged.
Johnson Mbuotidem- Founder Basement Animation Studios
Johnson Mbuotidem is a distinguished determine within the African animation trade, with over 16 years of expertise. He’s the CEO, Producer, and Director at Basement Animation, a fast-growing studio in Lagos, Nigeria, specializing in youngsters and household leisure, in addition to digital 2D and 3D animation companies.
Since June 2023, Johnson has been a member of the Worldwide Academy of Tv Arts & Sciences (Worldwide Emmy Awards).
He has held a number of management roles, together with Director/Senior Compositor and Artistic Director/Animator at Basement Animation. Moreover, Johnson is the Head of Promoting for the African Animation Community and the Founding father of Animation Nigeria, an initiative targeted on setting world requirements for the Nigerian animation trade.
Johnson’s instructional background features a Diploma in Animation Manufacturing Administration from VIA College School, and he has labored as a Model Advisor at Negris Restricted within the oil and fuel sector.
Damilola Solesi-SMID Animation Studios
Damilola Solesi is the CEO and artistic director of SMIDS Animation Studios, which she based in 2010. SMIDS is recognised as one among Africa’s foremost animation firms, and was rated among the many prime two animation companies in Nigeria by EY’s 2019 trade report.
The studio has delivered quite a few 3D animation tasks for a variety of purchasers and is at the moment targeted on producing youngsters’s content material for tv and digital platforms. Its debut TV sequence, The Makerbolts, was a finalist at this 12 months’s Annecy Animation du Monde, having superior via regional and continental levels.
Solesi has served as a juror for the 2020 Worldwide Emmy Awards, and she or he is a trustee of Animation Nigeria, which seeks to foster the nation’s animation trade. A Mandela Washington Fellow in 2015, she holds a level in Pc Science from Bowen College, Iwo, the place she graduated in 2009.
Her technical basis on this discipline set the stage for her future entrepreneurial ventures. In 2011, she bagged a Certificates in Entrepreneurial Administration (CEM) from the Enterprise Growth Centre at Pan-Atlantic College. This certification outfitted her with the instruments essential to navigate Nigeria’s evolving enterprise panorama.
In 2015, Solesi expanded her experience in enterprise and entrepreneurship by attending Clark Atlanta College.
Ayodele Elegba- Founder Spoof Animation
Ayodele Elegba is a dynamic chief in Nigeria’s animation and artistic trade, with over a decade of expertise.
He at the moment serves because the Competition Director of RENDACON Animation Movie Competition (since September 2021) and is the Founding father of Spoof Media Ltd, often known as Spoof Animation, Nigeria’s main 2D animation firm, established in 2015.
Spoof Animation has garnered recognition by successful the distinguished Digital Lab competitors and receiving funding from France for its Space Daddy comedy sequence.
Ayodele additionally based Lagos Comedian Con in 2011, main a passionate workforce to ship animation content material. His efforts have resulted within the creation of Hero Corps, an action-packed brief movie that includes characters from Spoof Comics.
Moreover, Ayodele is the CEO of Mustardseed Communication Worldwide, a inventive consulting agency specializing in leisure, comics, and animation. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and a Greater Nationwide Diploma in Microbiology from Yaba School of Know-how.
Ferdinand Adimefe- Co Founder Magic Carpet Studios
Ferdinand Adimefe is the Co-founder and CEO of Magic Carpet Studios, a distinguished inventive enterprise that he has led for over seven years.
Adimefe serves as curator of the Artistic Nigeria Undertaking, which facilitates bi-monthly conferences for inventive professionals to community and bridge the hole between capital and modern concepts.
A winner of the UN Innovation Problem Sahel 2022, Adimefe is reshaping the narrative via imaginative, African-rooted tales and exploring cutting-edge applied sciences akin to augmented actuality (AR), digital actuality (VR), Afrofuturism, and hyper-surrealism. His work has garnered recognition, positioning Magic Carpet as an award-winning studio redefining African leisure.
Adimefe can be the founding father of Imaginarium HQ, a tech-driven options platform targeted on fintech and edtech. His tutorial credentials are equally spectacular, holding an MSc in Media and Communication from Pan-Atlantic College, a Postgraduate Diploma in Worldwide Enterprise, and a Bachelor of Science in Human Anatomy from the College of Port Harcourt.
A Ford Basis inductee, Future Awards recipient, and Guardian of The Future, Adimefe co-founded GOTNI and serves on the board of Slum to College Africa.
Brian Ola Wilson-Founder Zero Gravity Studios
Brian Ola Wilson is a seasoned animation and artistic govt with over 10 years of expertise in main and managing inventive groups.
In 2021, Brian received the distinguished Digital Lab Africa award within the animation class for his mission Aminah’s Journey. His various expertise spans from working as the top of video and animation content material at GTBank, the place he additionally performed a key function in launching the Art635 initiative—a CSR mission geared toward selling and monetizing African artwork.
Brian holds a Grasp’s in 3D Pc Animation from Bournemouth College and a Diploma in Directing for Movie from the New York Movie Academy. He’s a Board of Trustees member for Animation Nigeria, a corporation he co-founded in 2017 to set world requirements and lift visibility for the Nigerian animation trade.
At present, because the CEO and Artistic Director of Zero Gravity Studios, Brian continues to push boundaries in animation and digital content material creation. His prior roles embrace growing inventive methods at Pd Media Studios, the place he secured high-profile tasks just like the 2010 Guinness World Cup TV business, and collaborating on impactful media like IBK Spaceshipboi’s music video, which gained worldwide recognition.
Observe: The people featured on this compilation have been rigorously chosen by a distinguished panel of editors, consultants, and analysts at Nairametrics. It is very important notice that not one of the people listed have solicited their inclusion.
Whereas this checklist goals to be complete, it’s not at all exhaustive; quite a few different contributors have performed vital roles in driving the Animation Studio trade in Nigeria. This compilation is unique to Nairametrics and could also be up to date periodically to mirror adjustments and developments within the discipline. Suggestions will likely be appreciated.
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