My first assignment as an intern student at Afia Television is a must-tell story that everybody needs hear because it came with a lot of impact.

On the 4th of September 2026, I was sent by my supervisor, Mr. Alex Obodo, to join the staff of Afia Television at a workshop for the Ala Igbo Creative Circle 2026, which was held at Cafe One, Okpara Avenue, Enugu. This was a workshop that focused on in-demand skills.

The workshop was organized to broaden the knowledge of the youth and guide them into the field of professionalism across different areas. It is a free program organized by the Afia Television and Radio Organization, which is carried out once a year. The workshop featured different sessions where important aspects of these skills were taught to give practical knowledge, and it allowed participants to ask questions concerning the topics presented.

The Ala Igbo Creative Circle workshop, which is held every year, enhances in-demand skills with the help of facilitators who specialize in different areas, including writing, photography, and videography/cinematography.

The Opening Session

The workshop began with a warm welcome address from Mrs. Vera, the Administrative Brand Manager of Afia Television and Radio. She laid emphasis on what the workshop is all about, its aims, and its objectives, thereby introducing the facilitators to the trainees. After the brief address, the class was divided into different sessions. This was done to enable the trainees who registered for the Ala Igbo Creative Circle to reside in their different areas of interests.

The Writing Session

Moving down to the workshop proper, the writing session was taken by Mrs. Adachukwu Onwudiwe, who has been a professional writer and is well-known for writing scripts. She took over her class by starting with a very interactive game, letting her trainees state two different truths and one lie to enable them to identify and differentiate fiction.

A video clip was played on narrative nonfiction, which explained its meaning—stating that narrative nonfiction tells a story about real people, while it also informs, entertains, and involves descriptive details. She went further into explaining the different types of narrative nonfiction, which include:

• Autobiography
• Biography
• Diary

During the class, she made the trainees understand that narrative nonfiction takes factual events and presents them like a story. It also uses literary techniques from fiction to make the writing engaging. She threw out a question to create more room for relaxation by asking if each person had access to the internet. This question paved the way for reading two different essays: “Still in Enugu” by Immaculata Abba and “Grief Grows, Like Ugu” by Roseline Mgbodichima Okorie.

After the reading, these were discussed in the class. “Still in Enugu” by Immaculata was the first essay to be discussed among the trainees, which gave them the privilege to understand what a fiction and nonfiction written story is all about. Moving down with the workshop, the second essay was also read, and it came with a clear distinction between the two essay writing styles.

She also made it clear to them that writing can be tricking. The story paved the way for a more practical exercise, which was carried out as she grouped her trainees into roles including the Protagonist of the story, the Observer, the Reporter, and the Historian. This enabled them to face quality factual writing for better development, and the exercise was carried out within the space of fifteen minutes. During this exercise, the trainees did not just write; they created a sense of humor among themselves, which enhanced their writing skills for their benefit. She furthered the session with the structuring of a story, which entails the narrative arc. She encouraged her trainees that becoming a professional writer deals with the involvement of inculcating a reading habit, while also stating the fact that every writer is a reader and every reader is a writer.

The Photography Session

On the other hand, the photography session was handled by Mr. Alex Nwaoba and Mr. Sunday Chukwu. Mr. Alex opened the floor to photography by giving an illustration: if something strikes you—either a bee or a mosquito—it is trying to give room for creativity. The illustration explains that creativity and photography, when built, help in the building and development of a gift from God.

He enlightened the trainees on how best to enable themselves to stand out among equals. He also explained to them how creativity comes through photography and how artists work with photos. During the class, he encouraged his trainees that, as upcoming artists, it is best to start by picking a topic and a story. He also told them that each work is expected to speak for someone.

Furthermore, he enlightened them on different ways to create a photo. An instance was given to them, which led to him saying that artwork agrees with a broader conversation. He made them understand that their craft is expected to reach up to different standards in order to pay off, and it must involve an interesting philosophy. He gave them lots of instances with different practical examples among the trainees, which created a joyous room among them as they had a practical photography class using their phone torchlights. He gave an in-depth description that not every intelligent person is creative, but every creative person is intelligent.

The Videography and Cinematography Session

Speaking down to the videography/cinematography session, this was handled by Mr. Franklin Ogaranya. He stated that everything you see on the camera lens is storytelling, and the essence of video content is to be able to tell a story; the tools, mechanism, editing style, and lighting all depend on the story you wish to tell. He enlightened his trainees on audio and story, noting that people wouldn’t forgive a bad story.

Moreover, during the class, he explained the filmmaker’s mindset. He noted that the filmmaker’s mindset involves putting the story first, ensuring every shot has a season, and recognizing that bad conditions are often creative problems. He also taught them about the tools needed for videography/cinematography, which involve:

• A computer
• A clip microphone
• A phone
• Lighting

Framing and composition were also discussed during the class. He explained that composition is used to define where things are placed in the frames, and how to use shapes, lights, colors, and pictures to tell stories.

Again, he enlightened them on phone videography, noting that its exposure could make the video picture look bright or dark. During the class, he also stated that in the exposure role, when a change is made to one element, a change is made to the other element, and the shutter speed controls motion and light. Questions were thrown around the class as the explanation of ISO came up, which determines how sensitive your camera sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the more the light; the lower the ISO, the lesser the bright light.

Networking and Conclusion

In a nutshell, the workshop became more fun and interesting when a break was given from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm. This came along with some refreshments and also created room for the trainees from different sessions to familiarize themselves with others. After the break, the workshop continued as the different sessions carried out various exercises to enhance the knowledge of the trainees, which drew the program to a conclusion.

Drawing down to the finalization, the workshop came to an end with a group photograph. Everybody was excited because the Ala Igbo Creative Circle was not just an organized workshop by the Afia Television and Radio Organization, but also a great opportunity for the youth who are willing to build up a bright career and future through their different skills.

It is a must-tell report because it helps in building creativity and exposure in the field of professionalism. Afia Television doesn’t just broadcast; they train young youths on what they need to know, learn, and understand. The Ala Igbo Creative Circle is a workshop that every aspiring youth in creative writing, photography, and videography/cinematography must attend—not just for fun, but to widen and broaden their knowledge.

Okoli Amaka is a 300 level student of Mass Communication, ESUT currently undergoing her Industrial attachment with Afia TV, Enugu

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