The U.S. government has announced three new opportunities for Nigerians in the creative economy sector.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ms. Lee Satterfield, who is currently in Nigeria on an official visit till March 22, made the announcement while delivering a foreign policy speech at the University of Lagos.
Satterfield, while launching the Africa Creative TV (ACTV) initiative, underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to deepening educational and cultural ties between Nigeria and the U.S.
She said ACTV would focus on professional development and network building between television writers, producers and those in the technical fields including art direction, cinematography, editing, in line producing among others.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State said the second programme being launched was the American Music Mentorship programme, a partnership between the U.S. and the Recording Academy, The Grammys.
According to her, with the Recording Academy, the U.S. State Department was creating a mentorship opportunity to bring international and mid-career music industry professionals to the U.S. for mentoring and networking opportunities.
This, she said was with an aim to cultivate the music industry ecosystem leveraging the networks of the Recording Academy to grant aids for professional programmes.
The Assistant Secretary also said she was happy to unlock an educational initiative, adding that the U.S. was opening a programme for the creative economy through script to screen process.
Satterfield added that for over 75 years the U.S. has connected with people through culture, sharing its struggles and successes with the world through movies and music and the country.
This same phenomenon, she said, was currently being seen with Nollywood and Afrobeats.
In her remark, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos Professor Folasade Ogunsola, said for over five decades, the institution had supported people and scholars from various U.S. programmes and activities.