Key points
- Nigerian filmmakers say AI is making filmmaking faster, more affordable and more accessible.
- They believe AI will complement, not replace, human creativity and authentic storytelling.
- AI is being used across scriptwriting, editing, visual effects, audio enhancement and content distribution.
- The filmmakers called for greater investment in training and support for the creative industry.
Main story
Nigerian filmmakers and creative professionals have said Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming visual storytelling by making film production faster, more affordable and accessible while creating new opportunities for independent creators.
The creatives, who spoke in separate interviews in Abuja, said AI was changing every stage of the filmmaking process but maintained that human creativity, originality and emotional storytelling would remain at the heart of compelling visual content.
Founder and Creative Director of ONIZ Creative, Onesiphorus Enwerem, described visual storytelling as the art of communicating emotions and information through images, lighting, composition, movement and performance rather than dialogue alone.
He said Nigerian storytelling had traditionally relied heavily on dialogue but noted that audiences were becoming more appreciative of cinematic elements such as colour grading, visual composition and emotional cinematography.
According to him, AI has made high-quality filmmaking more accessible by helping creators develop concepts, generate storyboards, edit videos, improve audio quality, remove distractions, create subtitles and pre-visualise scenes.
Enwerem said AI was particularly useful during pre-production and post-production, assisting with script development, scheduling, colour matching, visual effects and marketing content while reducing production costs by automating repetitive tasks.
He said responsible use of the technology should be guided by ethical considerations, including copyright protection, transparency and respect for original creative works.
Enwerem added that he regularly used AI tools such as ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, Runway and AI-powered features in Photoshop and Lightroom to improve efficiency while retaining creative control.
Documentary filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Jerry Laz, popularly known as RealJerryLaz, said AI had made professional filmmaking tools more accessible and supported virtually every stage of production.
He said the technology had reduced production costs by making services such as transcription, voiceovers, editing and visual effects more affordable, enabling creators to produce high-quality content without traditional production budgets.
Laz, who has produced documentaries for international and humanitarian organisations, stressed that AI should enhance rather than replace the emotional depth that defines compelling storytelling.
Both filmmakers urged young creatives to embrace AI, continue developing their skills and focus on telling authentic Nigerian stories, while calling on government to support the industry through grants and subsidised training programmes.
The issues
As AI tools become more widely available, Nigeria’s creative industry faces the challenge of balancing technological innovation with originality, ethical standards and the preservation of authentic storytelling.
What’s being said
“I don’t believe AI will replace filmmakers. I believe filmmakers who understand AI will replace filmmakers who refuse to learn it.” — Onesiphorus Enwerem, Founder and Creative Director, ONIZ Creative.
Bottom line
Filmmakers see AI as a powerful tool for improving efficiency and expanding creative possibilities, but they insist that authentic human storytelling will remain the industry’s greatest competitive advantage.
