“We Are Not Just Making Films — We Are Building Power”: ECOWAS Youth Ambassador Declares Culture as Africa’s New Foreign Policy

 In a commanding and deeply reflective interview with OrionTimes, ECOWAS West African Youth Ambassador, Amb. Dr. Jamezany James, did not just answer questions — he laid down a doctrine.

“I know I’m not just being interviewed,” he began. “You’re documenting history. Every word I speak reinforces why I’m here and chosen.”

That clarity of purpose shaped an explosive conversation that moved from culture to policy, from film to foreign relations, and from youth struggle to continental power.

“FESTAC Is Not a Festival — It Is Policy”

Speaking on his role in FESTAC Africa 2025, the Ambassador rejected any attempt to reduce the platform to entertainment.

“FESTAC isn’t just a cultural festival. FESTAC is a foreign policy,” he declared.

Tracing its roots to historic Pan-African gatherings in Senegal (1966) and Lagos (1977), he emphasized that FESTAC has always been about governance, identity, and global positioning. He reminded readers that FESTAC Town in Lagos was not just infrastructure — it was a statement of African unity.

For him, participation was not ceremonial.

“It wasn’t a job. It was a mandate — cultural, continental, and personal.”

From coordinating the FESTACWOOD Film/Cinema Session in Kenya to working closely with the Ghana Tourism Authority during the 2025 edition, his mission was clear: move Africa’s cultural narrative beyond hashtags into structured global influence.

“We didn’t just fill seats. We filled policy gaps.”

From Nollywood to Global Diplomacy

Drawing from his background as a Nollywood publicist and administrator, Amb. Jamezany James reframed the film industry as an economic and diplomatic engine.

“When I said we must move from 2,500 films to 2,500 franchises, that wasn’t film talk — that  was economic diplomacy.”

He described red carpets as “trade routes” and film funds as “GDP tools,” insisting that African governments must begin to treat culture as a serious economic sector rather than a ceremonial afterthought.

Under his coordination, FESTACWOOD became a convergence point for creatives and policymakers from Africa, the United States, and beyond — a deliberate strategy, not coincidence.

The Weight of the Title: Responsibility, Not Recognition

As FESTAC Africa Ambassador, his responsibilities cut across three critical fronts:

• Cultural Diplomacy: Translating creative output into policy influence

• Institutional Alignment: Positioning FESTAC alongside global platforms like Cannes and Davos

• Youth Activation: Empowering young Africans to see their creativity as sovereignty

“You don’t wear the title — you work it,” he said.

With backing from the State of the African Diaspora (SOAD) and alignment with ECOWAS structures, he described the role as one of pressure, access, and accountability.

“The next generation will ask what we did with FESTAC. My answer will be simple: we built something that lasts.”

A Direct Message to Young Africans: “Build, Don’t Beg”

In the most striking segment of the interview, Amb. Jamezany James delivered a no-holds-barred message to young Africans.

“Stop asking for a seat. Build the table.”

Rejecting narratives of luck, he emphasized hard work, structure, and systems as the true drivers of influence. He challenged the culture of informal agreements and called for a shift toward contracts, ownership, and scalability.

“Handshakes built us. Contracts will scale us.”

He also pushed a radical but grounded vision of Pan-Africanism:

“Africa to Africa first — then Africa to the world.”

According to him, validation must begin within the continent — through collaboration, distribution, and institutional trust — before seeking global approval.

Culture as Currency, Not Content

Perhaps his most powerful assertion was the redefinition of culture itself.

“Your culture is not content. Your culture is currency.”

From film to music to fashion, he argued that African creative output is not “soft power” but sovereign power — capable of shaping economies, reducing conflict, and building generational wealth.

“FESTACWOOD is not a session. It’s a strategy.”

Final Word: A Generation Called to Act

Closing the interview, his message carried both urgency and conviction:

“You are not the future of Africa. You are the present of Africa. Act like it.”

In an era where Africa is negotiating its place in a shifting global order, voices like Amb. Dr. Jamezany James are not merely participating in the conversation — they are redefining it.

And if this interview is anything to go by, the next phase of African power may not come from oil, politics, or aid — but from culture, structured and scaled.