Mr. Uche Agbo, the President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), stands as one of the most respected voices in Nigeria’s film and creative industry. A seasoned filmmaker, director, and advocate for industry reform, Mr. Agbo has consistently championed the growth and professionalization of creative practitioners across the country. Under his leadership, the DGN has been actively engaging with both government and private sector stakeholders to create sustainable frameworks that empower Nigerian directors and strengthen the nation’s creative economy. In this conversation, he sheds light on how directors both in film and animation can tap into emerging funding opportunities, the challenges they face in accessing such support, and the kind of institutional structure needed to drive lasting creative development in Nigeria.
How can the film and animation directors tap into this Creative Economic Development Fund to scale their productions?
Okay, first off, unfortunately, the window has closed in terms of the application process. But from our own end, because I don’t like separating animation from film like one of the panelists said inside there, I feel they are one and the same. I feel animation is a type of film, especially with the way the animation industry is currently going. Having said that, every director whether directing for animation, feature, or short film is first and foremost a creator, a filmmaker, a storyteller. So, it’s important that when such fundings are out, we pay close attention because we need them to be able to create. If you have all the ideas in the world but don’t have the funding to do it, you are as good as, you know, you might get depressed. It’s important and very key that when there is a deliberate funding opportunity to improve storytelling, directors who are the actual architects and responsible for the creative equity of the country should pay close attention. Most times, directors are more attuned to the creative aspect of their work and not as attuned to the business aspect. And that’s what we are saying: you can’t continue waiting for a producer or a funder to reach out to you and hire you before you can tell a story.
Pay attention to when funding opportunities are available so you can have complete control of your own storytelling ability. Because if you have funding available to you, you can tell your story the way you want to you’re not going to be controlled or dictated to by a producer or funder. So, tapping into it means paying close attention. We’re saying this now in retrospect even though it has closed because even if you did not apply, you must be creatively, consciously, and business-centered within the creative ecosystem to know that this funding will soon land again. When it lands, it’s going to improve a lot of things. Those who access this funding will be looking for you as a director to handle projects. So, you must also contribute your own quota to ensure that these projects meet the minimum standards expected, so that when the next phase of funding comes, people can use the results from this one to justify more funding. Directors are at the center of all of this. To cap it up, directors can and should tap into such creative development funds whenever they come not wait for producers, executive producers, or funders to get the money and then come to them. Only then can they be fully integrated and in charge of their own creative process.
What are the challenges you think directors face while seeking investment or funding from the Nigerian creative space?
Basically, lack of knowledge. A lot of directors just know how to create whether for film or animation. They just know how to tell stories, and I don’t blame them. Most often than not, that’s what we are trained for. We are trained to understand how sound works, how picture works, how colors work all of that. But we are not trained on how to do the business. So, the primary challenge directors face is lack of knowledge on how to create a business out of their craft. That’s one. Two, they don’t have records they’re not registered. There’s no brand; it’s just individual work. You’re not a registered company, so you can’t even apply for certain funds because you’re not an entity. Sometimes directors don’t even care to know that once they reach a certain stage, they need to have a registered company attributed to them. Creators, directors don’t think they can build a business outside of just being directors. So, one: lack of knowledge. Two: lack of brand awareness and refusal to migrate from individualism to owning a company that represents you, through which you can apply for certain opportunities. Thirdly, because those two things are lacking, people offering grants or funding have business requirements. Your books must be valid you must first and foremost have books. Most directors don’t. By “book,” I mean a running business. Some funding requires that you already have a business record a track record of what you’ve done and funded to prove that you can handle a certain size of money. Because we don’t have that, it poses another challenge. Sometimes they ask for tax records from the last three years and you haven’t paid any tax. So, it becomes another problem. There are no records, no books, nothing. So, these are the challenges, and all of them boil down to education. That’s why I said: lack of knowledge is the basic problem most directors suffer when applying for these opportunities.
So, in your view, what standard of framework should guide the funding allocation in the creative sector?
At the end of the day, there’s no free money anywhere. Whether it’s a grant, loan, or equity, there’s always a goal. Every funder has something they want to achieve with their fund. For me, the funding should first focus on infrastructural development. Nigerians don’t have enough. Someone mentioned how a film from China made over $2 billion that’s because China has infrastructure that supports that scale. In Nigeria, we have a lot of infrastructural deficits. We don’t have enough cinemas, viewing centers, or streaming platforms. We don’t have a strong localized streaming solution. We lack proper distribution and exhibition systems. So, the funding should first focus on businesses that can build on that. Then, it should focus on capacity building and training. Only after that should we talk about production. Because if you don’t know how to bring money back if there’s no way to recover the investment the entire ecosystem will remain warped. Can you follow?
In terms of Directors Guild supporting collaboration between filmmakers and animators, what is your quota?
Very important. I just met the Animation Nigeria man for the first time and we’ve exchanged contacts. We’re going to take it up from there. By that, I mean we’ll find middle ground on how the Directors Guild of Nigeria can partner with Animation Nigeria to tell more animation stories from the point of view of directors. That relationship has just started, and we’re going to build it up from there.
What advice would you give emerging directors about positioning themselves for creative grants?
Very simple: you need funds. Don’t assume that as a creative, you’ll just remain a creative. You need money in any form. You need a basket of funding loan, grant, equity. You must be aware and ready. You must have an entity registered separate from yourself meaning you need a registered company. You must look out for opportunities. People won’t chase you with money you must chase it. You need to source and look for it. Don’t go alone; find collaborators and partners who bring something to the table. So, my advice to any emerging voice or director is this: yes, people will tell you to be unique in your ways, but remember you can never negotiate a fair deal on an empty stomach. Make sure that as you are creating, even if you don’t know how to build a business, get people who can help you build one out of what you’re creating. And ensure you understand the books even if you don’t fully understand them.