AFIDFF, KEBBI STATE MOVE TO STRENGTHEN HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION AND YOUTH MEDIA SKILLS

The African International Documentary Festival Foundation (AFIDFF) and the Kebbi State Government have begun discussions on a potential collaboration to document, promote and preserve the state’s rich cultural heritage. The proposed partnership will also focus on equipping young people, local content creators and government communication personnel with professional skills in documentary filmmaking, digital storytelling, public relations and media production.

During the engagement, AFIDFF Director General, Ms. Malame Mangzha, highlighted the Foundation’s experience in documentary filmmaking, heritage documentation, youth engagement and capacity building, referencing its work on the Sukur Cultural Landscape, the Argungu Fishing Festival and World Heritage Volunteers activities in Taraba State. 

AFIDFF also highlighted the reach of its content around the Argungu Fishing Festival, with videos documenting the festival generating over 18 million combined views, demonstrating the potential audience that professionally produced and distributed cultural content can reach.

The discussions of the Kebbi state government were led by the Commissioner of Information and Culture, Alh. Yakubu Ahmed BK identified several cultural assets across Kebbi State beyond Argungu, including festivals and cultural activities in Yauri, Zuru and Gwandu, while also exploring the connection between heritage documentation, tourism development, economic opportunities and youth empowerment. A major focus was the importance of local ownership of Kebbi’s stories, with the Commissioner emphasizing the need to equip young people with the skills to document their communities through photography, video, documentaries and digital storytelling.

The meeting also explored the possibility of extending AFIDFF’s experience with the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers program to Kebbi State, with a possible program being considered for the 2027 cycle. AFIDFF also proposed a five-day intensive training program for selected Kebbi-based content creators and government communication personnel covering digital storytelling, scriptwriting, documentary production, reporting, fieldwork, public relations, press relations and short-form digital content production. The proposed training would be followed by several months of mentorship to support participants in producing documentary and digital content based on Kebbi’s cultural heritage.

Both parties agreed in principle to continue discussions towards a formal collaboration aimed at strengthening local storytelling capacity and promoting Kebbi State’s cultural heritage through documentary filmmaking and digital media. 

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