The Nigerian animation space recently marked another vibrant edition of the RendaCon Animation Festival, an event that convened leading professionals, studios, and enthusiasts within the creative sector. Held on 9 and 10 April at EbonyLife Place, the festival featured in-depth discussions on topics ranging from intellectual property, local anime screenings to the future of animation on the continent.

One of the most compelling sessions focused on empowering African animators and breaking down industry barriers. Speaking during the panel, David Victorious, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of Magic Lab Academy, addressed the critical issue of the skills gap within Nigeria’s animation ecosystem.

He highlighted the tension between sourcing talent locally and the high costs associated with outsourcing. “If you found someone who was able to do what you wanted them to do, you'd be paying high costs in terms of getting that person to carry out that project”, he said. However, if you have a lot of people within Nigeria or Lagos who have those skill sets, then you can generate, you know, relatively low, I wouldn't call it low, but relatively affordable team that could help you carry out your projects and, you know, bring you to fruition,” he added.

Victorious further discussed systemic challenges, including infrastructure deficits, outdated curricula, software licensing issues, and the lack of technical resources such as render farms. “Let’s say you want to venture into 3d animation, you need a good PC. You will be planning at least a budget of over half a million. For a lot of people who pretty much have not even seen that money before, that is a big deal,” he explained.

He also shed light on the increasingly stringent requirements by major software companies. “Software companies, like Autodesk, Maya, ToonBoom, they have been moving around very strategically to every studio that studios have to start paying for a license,” he mentioned. “So the entry level, most especially with you having to commit yourself financially, is pretty high, and that has been a challenge we are still having to tweak,” he added.

Reflecting on the resilience required to thrive in such an environment, he remarked, “The truth is, we are all in Nigeria. I think with every day passing, the reality becomes that you are your own Jesus Christ. So you have to save your own self and sacrifice for yourself”.

Victorious also spoke about how Magic Lab Studios is actively addressing these issues through its internationally accredited animation training programme and ensuring the trainees are work-ready through internship placements. “Right now, from the school side, we are both accredited by both the US and Canada, and we wanted to set up like a diploma structure where your certification has the same standard as that of a bachelor's degree you would get in whatever university. That was what we wanted to achieve, and we’ve been able to achieve that,” he revealed.

He noted that Magic Lab has also negotiated student licences with leading software providers, allowing trainees to access necessary tools and gain recognised certifications. “We had conversations with these software companies where we want to get licences for students that when they come into the programme they are able to get student licences and also to get certification from the software company”, he added. “if you wanted to quantify the training you are getting from say Magic Carpet, YAPPI, or TAFTA for example, even Orange FX, if you wanted to quantify it outside the country, you would not be able to pay that money”, he asserted.

Other panellists also contributed valuable insights. Dickson Etim, Lead Creative at Del-York Group, addressed the persistent funding challenges facing the sector. He stressed the importance of creatives being able to clearly articulate their value proposition to investors.  “There is a large discrepancy between being able to articulate how, for example, venture capitalists provide money and then how they can see lucratively how that venture goes from point A to point B and then they have their return on investments”, he said. Etim also noted that YAPPI’s training programme has been especially inclusive, boasting the highest number of trained female animators in the country to date.

Richard Oboh, founder of Orange VFX, shared a more personal journey. “I stumbled into animation by accident and approached it as an entrepreneur,” he said. Recounting his early years, Oboh reflected on the challenges of self-learning in a landscape that lacked community or guidance. “It took me 10 years just to understand the basics because there were no peers or mentors to learn from,” he shared.

The panel, consisting of Osas Akugbe, the Creative Director at Spoof Animations, also explored other pressing topics, including the ethical implications of AI in animation, the importance of consistency and integrity in creative work, and the lessons that can be drawn from other international animation ecosystems.

As the Nigerian animation sector continues to evolve, events like RendaCon provide not only a platform for connection and collaboration but also a mirror for reflecting on how much progress has been made and how far there is still to go.