Digital Creator Africa Academy Kicks Off in Lagos With Training for 300 Microdrama Filmmakers
The Digital Creator Africa Academy for Microdrama (DCAA) is now open in Lagos to shape the future of African storytelling on mobile. Co-founders Ifeoma “Oma” Areh, a creative strategist, and Elijah Affi, a media innovator, are positioning the DCAA as a launchpad for African filmmakers who want to get into the fast-growing world of vertical video.
The academy plans to train 300 filmmakers, videographers, writers, and storytellers. The goal is to help them switch from making traditional movies to creating the short, attention-grabbing microdramas that are popular on mobile streaming platforms. The program will focus on teaching practical skills, business strategies, and ways to distribute content online that are relevant to today’s media scene, which is different from what you’d learn at a regular film school.
The DCAA wants to boost Africa’s role in the global vertical video market. The founders believe this initiative will help African creators compete in a market worth billions of dollars. African content is already popular on platforms such as YouTube. But there’s an opportunity for creators on the continent to make premium short dramas for platforms such as ReelShort, DramaBox, and ShortMax.
Ifeoma “Oma” Areh says the goal is to help storytellers grow their audience internationally. They’ll learn how to create vertical dramas with the right pacing, compelling hooks, and visual style. She describes the academy as a community builder that mixes creative training with practical business advice.
The academy is just now officially launching, but the planning started months ago. Since September 2025, the team has been running workshops at major industry events such as the Soweto International Film Festival, the Kingdom Film Festival, and the Africa Creative Market. These events introduced filmmakers to vertical storytelling and attracted many potential students, resulting in hundreds of early applications.
One of the key things about the Digital Creator Africa Academy is that it teaches people how to use artificial intelligence in filmmaking. The AI part of the course will focus on how to cut down on production time and costs while keeping the visuals looking great. This will allow independent creators to produce content that looks like it came from a big studio.
The free, three-week program is structured around six areas: scriptwriting, directing, production management, editing, AI filmmaking, and acting for vertical video. Instead of graduating as individuals, students will finish the program as working production teams ready to start creating content right away.
The curriculum mixes African storytelling styles with methods from the microdrama markets in Asia and Western streaming platforms. The teachers include industry experts who have worked with China’s duanju format, Indian streaming productions, and global digital platforms.
The academy is supported by partners such as Ingene Studios, Africa Creative Market, TechMedia Foundation, Digital Native Africa, Fourth Mainland, and WildPepper Studios. This shows there’s a growing partnership between the creative and tech industries in Africa.
Right now, experienced filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and the African diaspora can apply for the first class. The organisers say the program shows a broader move toward mobile-first storytelling, as African creatives look to reach more people within the global streaming world.
