Actor and filmmaker Folagade Banks has unveiled an empowerment initiative that will reward three aspiring content creators with a total of N3 million and a brand-new iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The programme, announced as part of the promotion for his upcoming film, A Mama Deola Wedding Story, invites aspiring and emerging creators to explain how the cash prize and smartphone would help advance their creative careers.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the initiative on Tuesday, Banks reflected on the struggles he faced while trying to establish himself in the entertainment industry.
According to him, years of attending auditions without securing meaningful roles pushed him towards content creation despite having limited resources.”About five to six years ago, I was just that boy who was trying to create content. I was on the verge of giving up because I was going to auditions upon auditions to get a movie role. I would travel seven to eight hours from school to movie locations hoping to show, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t even appear in one scene,” he said.
Banks recalled creating videos with a damaged phone and relying on friends for equipment and filming locations while receiving little recognition for years.
“I started creating content because I needed to put myself out there. One thing that stayed with me over the years was my consistency. Imagine having to go through all that without resources. I was shooting with my broken phone. I remember going to my friend’s house to borrow his iPhone. I used to borrow people’s apartments to shoot content. I shot for two to three years in total silence. Nobody was applauding me, and then came Mama Deola. I’m grateful for this character because it changed my life,” he added.
The filmmaker said those experiences motivated him to give back to aspiring creators facing similar obstacles.”This is what has led me to want to inspire a lot of aspiring creatives out there because I feel we share similar stories,” he said.
Announcing the giveaway, Banks revealed that three winners would receive a share of N3 million alongside a new iPhone 17 Pro Max.”I am giving out the sum of N3 million and a brand new iPhone 17 Pro Max to three aspiring content creators or already established content creators. I started this whole journey with just passion and a small phone,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, Banks described the initiative as a celebration of persistence and growth.”Looking back to how far we’ve come, from blurry videos to now having the first-ever KAVA original in Africa, this is what growth looks like and the days we worked hard for. Back then, I almost quit so many times, but consistency and belief kept me going.”
He encouraged interested participants to submit a video explaining how the prize would improve their content creation journey and how his story has inspired them. According to Banks, winners will be selected based on the creativity of their entries and the level of audience engagement they generate.
