The client was in panic.
The refined new high-tech product was about to be released proudly, made in Nigeria, but the final 30-second ad spot was nowhere near.
At 1:17am, the creative team of advertising agencies hit a wall and the client sent a less subtle message.
Kew Queu the And Impossible Hero: Recently, the nerdy intern, an AI-powered video generation tool employed by the agency’s new innovation manager, has become a full-time staff member with a obsession with machine learning.
Using a library of scripts, rough narration and reference materials, the AI tool kicked out draft videos that didn’t work.
Dynamic transitions, scene changes, perfect lighting product shots, even family scenes that capture the brand’s emotional pull. There is no shooting. There’s no pain in post-production. Just… magic. Of course it wasn’t perfect. Grandmother’s eyes blinked twice as needed, and the cicada and egushi soup had a suspicious mash vibe. However, after some tweaks, the ads were finished. And it was amazing.
This is not science fiction, dear reader. That’s the present. And that’s just the beginning.
AI Awakening
Around the world, artificial intelligence is shaking everything from banking to baking (yes, there is AI that designs cupcakes). Media and entertainment have completely rewritten the rules.
The scripts can now be co-written by AI. You can digitally recreate the voices and portraits of the actors (the topic that caused great tension in the final Hollywood writer and actor strike). The entire scene can be storyboarded, animated and edited by Machine.Globally. We are witnessing the dawn of a new creative industrial revolution. This is a place where the distinction between engineers and artists is blurred.
This convergence is to give birth to a new economy, reshape the old economy, and create space for small players.
Nigeria cares (and capital letters)
Nigeria has a youthful population, a tech-savvy diaspora, and Flair for storytelling, and there are all reasons to be excited about this AI-Media fusion. I missed the waves of hardware. I discovered a software boom.
But here, at this strange and exhilarating crossroads of intelligence (artificial or not), culture and commercial transactions, we may finally take a shot.
AI tools significantly reduce production costs, lower entry barriers, and allow creators to dream bigger. For countries that drive over 2,000 movies a year, but are battling budget constraints, insufficient infrastructure and limited global visibility, AI is a cheat code waiting to be activated.
Hollywood knew that before we did
Let’s be honest: Hollywood has always been a few steps ahead, whether it’s a flying car, a talking robot, a dystopian nightmare or somehow it becomes a reality. Before most of us spelled out “algorithms,” they were already making films about rogue AIS, human romance, and intergalactic battles driving future technology.
But beneath the explosion and shiny visual effects there was a deeper truth. Films are the way we rehearse our future.
And that’s why machimation is so important.
Makemation: More than a movie
Others dare to challenge Zag with a jig when Nigerian cinemas are overwhelmed by the usual menu flicks, love triangles, ritual-themed storylines and family drama.
This is a film that blends AI, heart and afrofuturism. A story that not only entertains but also inspires. A tale of resilience, innovation, love and bold ambition – knowing as well as Nigerians, rarely found in the context of science and technology on-screen.
Makemation isn’t just a movie, it’s a movement. It opens a portal to a future where Africans are not only catching up, but leading. A place where our kids can dream of becoming AI engineers, robotics designers, or creative engineers.
It’s a film where the whole family invites the whole family, mom, dad, cousin, and even grandma (especially if she’s not blinking very often) to sit together, laugh, cheer, cry, imagine what’s most important.
Ultimately, that’s what the future needs from us. It’s imagination.
The power of the story we tell
There are no powerful tools to shape cultures like storytelling. And once AI becomes the central part of its storytelling engine, you can choose. We can become passive consumers of content designed elsewhere. Or you could be the co-creator of the story that defines the next century.
Nigerian Creative Economy Our music, our films, our writing, our memes are one of our most valuable exports. AI can help us do it better, faster, and more inclusive. But it’s a film like Makemation that shows us how to do it.
Yes, the robot is here. But maybe instead of replacing us, maybe – maybe – they’re here to remind us how powerful we can become when we try to imagine together.
Also, if one AI tool can save an ad campaign at 1:17am, imagine what the Dreamer’s Country can do with an all-new toolbox.
