Rotimi Bankole’s mission is to give back to the community via workshop, while also helping to expand the media market. He has received tremendous support from likeminded organisations such as Sony Nigeria, Boomplay, Radisson Hotels, Turkish Airlines, Media Crush, Primedia, and several others.
The Chief Executive Officer of SBI Media Group launched his workshop series the year he clocked 40, to help train the next generation of media entrepreneurs. The workshop, which is free of charge to attendees, has featured some of the country’s most accomplished creators and media entrepreneurs, including filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, as session instructors.
“We launched the SBI Media Workshop in 2020 to help young Nigerians tap into the opportunities available in the media sector. 2020 was the year I clocked 40 and I wanted to establish a platform to empower young Nigerians, not with cash per se, but monetisable knowledge,” he said.
As CEO of a media independent agency, he had chosen to focus on his own industry, where he has specialised knowledge. The workshop trains young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35 years on how to identify niches, create media value, collaborate with others in their fields, and sell their content and channels to brands.
“Over 500 young Nigerians have attended in person and virtually,” Bankole said.
“The participants at the workshop are excited to become content creators, media owners, and independent businesspeople. What we then offer them is a systematic approach to doing just that,” the SBI Media boss added.
Bankole said: “The workshop takes its name from SBI Media and to us, this means both entities are linked. Although we always receive sponsorship and other forms of support from clients and the media, SBI Media will continue to be the primary backer of SBI Media Workshop now and in the foreseeable future.”
The third edition is scheduled to hold in November with a focus on next-generation entertainment media. There will be four facilitators this year.
“Locally and internationally, the media industry is seeing major shifts through the evolution of production and transmission tech, as well as consumption patterns. This evolution comes with a host of business prospects that can now be explored by individuals, using nothing but mobile devices. But you may miss your chance if you don’t know where to look. That is why the SBI Media Workshop offers training and support to the next generation of creators and media entrepreneurs. We want to shorten the distance between an idea and profitability, by letting them leapfrog the successful players in the sector,” he said.
According to him, “Internet advertising revenue in the EMEA region will continue a steady growth till at least 2024, according to findings by PwC. This growth is largely driven by the media, which in 2019, accounted for 88.4 per cent of the expansion and nearly 60 per cent of revenue worldwide.”
The 2021 edition, for instance, was a series of four masterclasses that covered gear, audience segmentation, content design and channel building, brand relationships, copyright protections, and monetisation.
Facilitators at that edition included award-winning filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, head of Boomplay Music Dele Kadiri, Instagram and YouTube content director Edem Victor, corporate lawyer and Partner at Perchstone & Graeys LP Tolulope Aderemi, and superstar music video director Olalekan Buhari — better known as Unlimited L.A.
“We are aware and inspired by the amazing level of talent in Nigeria but we also see how challenging the economy often is to anyone who wishes to start a business. So, we want to show more Nigerian youths how to navigate the economic situation in the country and uncage their creativity,” he said.
For him, “this is why we also provide cash and free gear to participants who present the most realistic business ideas at the end of the Workshop. In the 2020 and 2021 editions, the SBI Media Workshop presented cash and gear valued at over N4 million to participants.”
He continued, “we want to reach as many as two million young Nigerians within five years with media business savvy that could lead to self-sustainability for them.” he said.
According to him, “the first edition in 2020 was a two-day event. The second was held in one day but with a larger attendance. For 2022, we are gearing up for another one-day event at a much larger physical venue and live online. We will announce this year’s sponsors in November. However, we expect to see our previous partners again this year—brands such as Turkish Airlines, Sony, Boomplay, and Media Crush.”
