Name: Tolu Itegboje
Age: 22 going on 23
City: Lagos, Nigeria
Educational history: Primary school @ Yaba College of Technology Staff School; Secondary @ International School, Lagos; University/College @ Baylor University, Waco, Texas.

When did you start hashing the plan to come back home?
It was never really a plan. It was just something I figured I’d eventually do. I actually kind of dreaded it. The plan was get a job on my OPT after graduation, work for one year, apply to film school in between, get accepted, and go to film school after the one year was up. I had however planned to visit Nigeria in the summer, before film school would start. Unfortunately, like all human plans, mine didn’t quite materialize the way I wanted it to. I didn’t get accepted into film school, the job thing worked out and then didn’t , my OPT was about expire, and what essentially was supposed to be a visit home ended up becoming an extended stay.

What exactly do you do now and what did it take to get started?
I work for a film production company in Lagos. And getting that was I think a mixture of knowing what I wanted, and God smiling on me some. I knew that I was going to stay in Nigeria for at least a year since that was how long it took for the next round of film school admissions to take place. So I figured that I might as well enroll in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a mandatory yearlong program. One of the highlights of this program is the primary assignment, which involves hooking corp members up with employment opportunities all over the country. I had decided that if I was going to take part in the program, I had to be at a place that would be instrumental to my future career as a film director; a place where I could get the much needed exposure on what it takes to succeed professionally, and since I was eventually planning to live and work in Nigeria, it would be good for me to see and experience the challenges people face working in the Nigerian film industry. However, I had no idea where to start looking, and for a short while just threw darts blindly hoping I’d hit something. I talked to a friend’s dad, who happens to be a composer, and he suggested the place I currently work, DVWORX. He said it would provide the kind of structure I was looking for. So I made a showreel, and had a meeting with the owner, who told me he’d hire me with no pay. Somehow, I said yes, and the rest is history.

Compared to life abroad, what’s it like being back home? What were the first few weeks like? What was it like getting acclimated?
I think the biggest problem for people coming back, which also happens to be the one they can’t avoid, is that tendency to compare the two worlds. They are very far apart, and it is a very tough realization to deal with, like a hot resounding slap in the face. The first few weeks at home were quite difficult, and it was starting to look unlikely that I’d actually survive a year. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. There was no power, no water, the internet wasn’t working, and it all just seemed like a huge destructive party had been planned for me. It would have been harder, but I had somewhat prepared myself before I left the US that it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, and I had to keep the goal in mind.

Were you apprehensive of coming back home? If so, why? If not, why not?
I was a little apprehensive. I knew there were going to be a lot of changes. I hadn’t been home in two years, and I had become used to an environment where there was order, and everything just worked. I was also worried that the move back did not help the course I envisioned my life would follow, and that scared the hell out of me.

What would you say to others considering doing what you’ve done?
I say have a clear idea of what it is you want out of the move back, but leave yourself open to several possibilities that can come after the move back. Have no expectations. Be very open about your environment; it’s easier to find opportunities that way. Stay true to who you are as person, and to the things you are passionate about, because the moment you lose sight of that, every other thing becomes meaningless.

So far, what have been the pros and cons of your decision to return home?
Funny enough, it’s been all pros. The decision definitely paid off in ways I definitely could not have envisioned. For one, it has definitely been a huge learning experience. Work wise, I’m at an organization where everyday is an opportunity for me to learn new things about the career path I want to take. During one of our commercial shoots, pacing up and down, drenched in rain that had reared its ugly head that morning, I was picked to be the lead model on the shoot. Very unexpected, but a huge opportunity nonetheless. That experience and others that followed after have taught me things that will not only make me a better candidate for film school, but a more knowledgeable film director as well. Also, I am surrounded by people who understand and value my ideas, and are willing to make sacrifices to see those become a reality. More importantly, I have had the great opportunity of meeting and collaborating with other like-minded individuals; the kind of collaboration that helps me grow into a better, well-rounded creative. Finally, I met a girl. And yeah, I could have met a girl anywhere else, but if I wasn’t here, I probably wouldn’t have met this one, and that in addition to everything else has made the move back very special and worthwhile.

What kind of impact do you feel you’ve had and what legacy do you look forward to leaving in the long run?
I’m a little self-deprecating when it comes to the first half of that question. I would hope however that in the future, I can contribute to the growth and development of the film industry in Nigeria. I feel like we have a competitive advantage in that area. There’s no question about the fact that we are naturally creative. This is a direct result of our inherent story telling character, combined with the fact that as a result of our very rich, sometimes turbulent history, we do have interesting stories to tell. The problem we face is with the execution. So I want to learn enough about the structure and efficiency with which other countries have developed their film industries; I also want to learn about the evolution of technology and how that has been instrumental in the development of film. And I want to use that knowledge to interpret our stories into a visual narrative that rings true, and inspires a host of other Nigerian creatives. And if I can succeed in achieving that – in helping towards making one sector of this beautiful country relevant – then that for me is more than I can ask for. And the beauty of this is that others are working equally hard in their respective career paths to make their industries relevant. The combined accumulation of these efforts can only bring about a better stronger Nigeria that the rest of the world appreciates and wants to identify with.