‘Nurturing Young Talents,’ Lagos, PlotWeaver Unveil Storytelling Contest

The Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board (LSFVCB) has announced its partnership with PlotWeaver, an innovative AI-powered storytelling and film production platform, to launch the maiden edition of the Lagos Youth Storytelling Competition.

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSFVCB, Mrs. Adebukola Agbaminoja, said the competition is targeted at nurturing the creative talents of youths aged 13 to 20, using storytelling as a tool to spotlight their imagination and promote the state’s cultural heritage.

“As the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, we are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking initiative aimed at nurturing the creative talent of our youth through the heart of storytelling.

“In collaboration with PlotWeaver, we are excited to introduce a storytelling competition specifically designed for students aged 13 to 20 years.

“We recognize that storytelling is not just an art form, but a powerful medium for self-expression and cultural reflection.

“This initiative seeks to ignite passion for storytelling among our youth, providing them with a platform to explore their imagination and share their unique narratives.

“We believe that this competition will pave the way for a new narrative landscape in Lagos State, encouraging fresh perspectives and innovating storytelling methods.”

She also addressed concerns surrounding the misuse of AI for misinformation, stating the agency’s firm commitment to regulating content across platforms.

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“This agency regulates content and we do not take kindly to misinformation or improper use of content dissemination.
“And so the target, the purpose for this initiative, one of the very important purposes is to catch them young, to promote creativity within our youth.

“And in promoting the creativity, the essence of creativity within the youth is to ensure that they grow up with the right narrative. They develop content that expresses them as individuals in the right way, how you want to sell yourself, how you want to sell your country, how you want to sell your state. Everything matters.

“We’re a product of what we hear, what we see and what we do. So if what you’re generating is something that will give you negative feedback, yes, I know it’s always been, it’s been a challenge in regulatory, especially film and video regulation.

“It’s been a challenge because they say bad news or things sell, they say sex sells, and you want to do nudity, you want to do things that are not culturally viable in our own country. You want to start doing it because you feel it’s selling in other Western countries. And we still put our feet down and say No.”

Also speaking, Noah Ibrahim, a member of the Board of Advisors for PlotWeaver, said that the initiative is more than just a competition—it is a platform for self-expression.

He said, “PlotWeaver is an AI-powered platform that helps storytellers. So, a lot of content that is going on social media today, a lot of young people who are looking to become the next big stars, they can use this platform to improve their story and tell a better story for Nigerians and for Africans.”

Oteme Oyo, Project Lead, Lagos Youth Story Competition, unveiled Story Checker, a tool developed by PlotWeaver specifically for the competition.

He said, “The Story Checker essentially enables a quick evaluation of stories for quality, cultural relevance, and several other metrics outlined to be able to develop and find the next big stories that are not just relevant to the society, but also give young people a sense of identity in Nigeria, and most especially in Lagos State.

“And the wonderful thing about it is that it’s going to be happening during the holidays, so the young people will have a lot of time to research their stories, build their stories up. And at the end of this the winning story is going to be developed, go from story to the screen.

“So, it’s now going to enter the Plot Weaver system, which is an AI tool that enables the production process, all evaluating the stories, making them culturally relevant, making them commercially viable, but also creating a production process.

“So, it is the next, or actually the biggest thing in storytelling in the world today, and we want to use this opportunity to showcase it.”

Agbaminoja added that the competition goes beyond traditional writing contests, as it leverages the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for storytelling which serve as tools for engagement, encouraging young minds to imagine bold futures while reinforcing values such as discipline, confidence and purpose.

She said that the Lagos State Government is “deeply committed to fostering creativity among our young people.”

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