The recently concluded business of photography conference this year is geared towards exploring the many opportunities that recent globalisation efforts in the African entertainment industry have opened up.
Intercultural communication is vital to the world economy. As the world grows smaller and economies merge, the ability to understand and navigate cultural differences becomes increasingly important for success. This year’s conference focused on how creatives, including photographers, can take advantage of these opportunities to market Nigeria and their craft. People’s cultural background shapes their worldviews, professional networks, and interpersonal relationships.
Every session was an eye-opener from the keynote speech by Bayo Omoboriowo that emphasised the need for a change from being a creative to building a creative enterprise and the importance of igniting Nigeria’s creative industry. He also dished out nuggets on how to build a sustainable photography craft and other areas of photography we can tap into. The ice was broken during the session on exporting the Nigerian brand: A civic responsibility or business, which was facilitated by Isabella Adedeji. Mr. Dayo Adedayo, Yinka Obebe, and Yagazie Eguare shared insightful information about how to develop our craft, tell compelling stories, and explore our creative culture and art as both a civic responsibility and a business. They also discussed how best to share this incredible story with the world.
It was an opportunity for creatives to mingle, network, and engage with the various visual experience spaces at the conference in addition to the sessions and fireside talks, among other benefits of attending. This year, one thing that really stuck out to me was Mr. Scott Eneje’s explanation of how to foster collaboration using the acronym FROG (Friend, Relative, Organisation, and Government). These same concepts apply to improving your pitch as a creative and transitioning from being just any creative to exporting our work and acquiring the necessary audience to take it from where it is to earning the required income and propelling the craft to the pinnacle.
