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[Lagos, 6 February 2025] – The Media Mentoring Initiative (MMI) proudly announces the launch of its Documentary Fellowship for Students (DFS), centered on promoting Yoruba identity through documentaries. This immersive, three-month program is designed for final-year students from public universities aspiring to become documentary filmmakers.
The fellowship aims to deepen their understanding of Yoruba culture, promote authentic storytelling, and enrich their engagement with the philosophies, governance, and way of life of the Yoruba people of West Africa.
According to the convener, broadcaster and multi-genre media personality, Anikeade Funke-Treasure, the fellowship addresses the critical need for cultural preservation and pride, drawing from her real-life experiences in Wales, Scotland, Germany, and South Africa – countries where indigenous languages were prioritized, even in formal settings. These examples, she noted, underscore the importance of conscious efforts to maintain linguistic diversity and cultural heritage, which the fellowship seeks to emulate within the Yoruba context.
“The MMI seeks to counteract the political sensitivities surrounding language in Nigeria by intentionally focusing on the Yoruba language,” Treasure says in her welcome remarks, when the fellowship officially kicked off on 24the January 2025. “This initiative aims to preserve the language, instill cultural pride, and facilitate generational socialization, actively addressing the current disconnects between the youths and their cultural roots.
The fellowship also aims to counteract negative perceptions associated with promoting indigenous languages in Nigeria. By focusing on the Yoruba language, the MMI seeks to foster cultural pride and socialization without succumbing to political suspicions. The goal is to inspire young filmmakers to explore and celebrate their heritage, countering the trend of cultural alienation.
Tunde Kelani, CEO of Mainframe Productions, gave the keynote address.
Anikeade Funke-Treasure described the septuagenarian filmmaker as a world-class, globally renowned Yoruba man in spirit and truth, who typifies the dream of the fellowship. “Long before Netflix came to Nigeria, he had unforgettable films to his name. My favorites include Saworoide and Ti Oluwa Ni Ile. We are honored that he graciously agreed to keynote this opening ceremony.”
In rounding off her speech, she thanked everyone who ensured that the dream became a reality, including the individual who provided the seed donation, the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism for becoming the fellowship’s first institutional donor and the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (FCMS) at Lagos State University for hosting the rebirth of Media Mentoring Initiative, originally operational in 2010.
About Media Mentoring Initiative
The Media Mentoring Initiative is powered by Illuminate Nigeria Development Network. It is dedicated to educating, motivating, and nurturing tertiary institution students interested in documentary filmmaking. MMI focuses on Yoruba culture, documentary ethics, and the philosophies and governance of the Yoruba people.
