David Oyelowo Leads Creative Arts Summit in Nigeria, Uplifting Young Women:

David Oyelowo is using the power of creative arts to uplift young women in Nigeria — and his efforts are part of a growing movement backed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

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The Selma and Lawmen: Bass Reeves actor spent the weekend in Enugu, Nigeria, hosting a creative arts summit (from Jan 29 to Feb, 2) at the Brightland Academy through his David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship for Girls, in partnership with GEANCO Foundation. Joined by his wife, actor and producer Jessica Oyelowo, he led discussions on acting, music, photography, AI, digital art and performance, showing young women how creative expression can shape their futures.

“What I’m really trying to instill in them is that engaging with the creative arts doesn’t mean you’re gonna go on to be an actor or a photographer or a writer or a fashion designer,” Oyelowo tells PEOPLE. “But it gives you a skill set that is applicable to so many avenues in life,”

The scholarship provides full tuition, medical care, and emotional support to young female victims of terrorism and gender inequality in Nigeria.

“Many of these girls are from financially challenged situations,” the actor continues. “Sometimes there’s sexual violence, sometimes it’s political violence, and sometimes they’ve been dealing with terrorism in their area. They are all dealing with issues and circumstances that really challenge the notion of them being well-educated, well-rounded, and having access to the kind of education that will make them well-rounded young women.”

“If we, along with others, can continue to be a drop in the ocean of change for some of these systemic inequities, the sky is truly the limit,” he says.

During their visit to Nigeria in May 2024, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex participated in a Mental Health Summit hosted by GEANCO, strengthening their partnership with the organization through their Archewell Foundation.

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Afam Onyema, CEO of the GEANCO Foundation, which hosts the leadership program, accompanied Oyelowo in Nigeria and says Meghan and Harry’s involvement had a significant impact.

“We’re humbled by the spotlight and the attention [it brought]. So many people have reached out to learn more about GEANCO,” he tells PEOPLE. “They’ve asked how they can help and how they can be involved. Just having our profile raised in that way and our work affirmed in that way has been terrific.”

Approximately 50 young women and girls attended the leadership summit. Oyelowo reflects, “Nigeria is such a creative country. It’s at the forefront of music with afrobeats, fashion, literature and one of the biggest film industries in the world in terms of Nollywood. And yet traditionally, our parents, from an aspirational point of view, are always pointing us towards academia.”

“I think because they are so intent upon their children being successful, and what they see that as is a degree of financial stability. And of course, we know the creative arts are not necessarily the first place you go for financial stability,” he adds.

He says there is a tremendous resource in the nation—its people, and more specifically, its women.

“When you look at the landscape, especially within culture — music, movies, fashion, literature — the resources we have here are extraordinary,” Oyelowo says. “And you couple that with our greatest resource, which is our people, and then you couple it with one of our hidden resources, which is our women — because of how many of them are not being educated, not being given a platform, not being allowed to shake the shackles of early pregnancy, early marriage, or child marriage, or are not being afforded the kind of education that gives them access and opportunities.”

“You may never get up and act, but you will get up and give a talk in school, give a talk at work, give a speech,” Onyema tells PEOPLE. “Just knowing how to present, knowing how to put your thoughts together is gonna be a gift that you can use in any part of life. And so the creative arts are life arts. They’re life skills. I love seeing girls show these different sides of themselves.”

The group was also joined by actress and musician Folake Olowofoyeku, from CBS’s hit TV show Bob Loves Abishola and Mufasa: The Lion King.

Onyema says, “Seeing the girls light up as they get to dance and draw and act and then learning from one of the best there is — both in terms of words, general words of insight and wisdom. Also, David’s like getting his hands dirty very practically about certain shots and moving and try this and that.”

Onyema says the work they are doing, along with the support of Harry and Meghan is an “ongoing’ commitment.

“It isn’t one of those things where you fly in, cut a ribbon or what have you, give a speech and leave. We’re just beginning to do the mental health work — it’s a long path,” he says.

“I’m still in communication with their team about it,” he adds of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. “They’re very excited and engaged as well, as we do the menstrual health work with the girls. So we’re just really honored to have them as partners.”
Forty-four young women participated over the weekend, including a few alumni of the program.

“We started with three girls at one school in 2015/20 16, and now they have 44, 45 girls from all four major reach to the country staring back at us,” Onyema says of the attendees at the school.

“This the first time they’re getting to meet each other. Something great that David did when we had our first assembly this morning is have all the girls sit next to someone they didn’t know,” Onyema says. “So someone from a different region, different tribe would just get to know each other in that regard. I had to like, take a moment before I could say anything.”

Adds Oyelow: “This is about opening the aperture of possibility for them in order for them to go from incredibly challenged circumstances to situations whereby the world is essentially their oyster.”

By Simon Perry