The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) has announced a new Japan-Africa animation co-production following a talent-development programme that brought African animation studios together with Japanese industry mentors.
The collaboration follows the TAIDO African Animation Challenge, a six-month development initiative organised by JETRO in partnership with Arc & Beyond and other industry collaborators.
Through JETRO’s Africa Business Desk, two African studios—Ghana’s Animax FYB Studios and Nigeria’s CR motion+—were selected for the programme. The studios received mentorship from Japanese animation professionals while developing original short films ranging from five to 10 minutes.
The completed projects were screened in Tokyo on 4 March 2026 and received positive feedback from industry reviewers.
Building on the programme’s success, Toei Animation, which served on the TAIDO Awards review panel, has agreed to invest in and collaborate with CR motion+ to produce a new short film based on the Nigerian studio’s original title, Trials of the Spear.
Founded in 2024 as the production arm of African entertainment company Comic Republic, CR motion+ focuses on animation and visual storytelling built around African-created intellectual property. The studio has also established licensing collaborations with international partners.
JETRO said the new co-production shows the potential for innovative business models that connect Japan’s creative industries with Africa’s rapidly developing animation sector.
“Through initiatives such as the TAIDO Project, TICAD and Super Japan, JETRO has been exploring new models of business collaboration between Japan and Africa by leveraging the growing appeal of Japanese pop culture, including animation,” the organisation said.
JETRO added that it will continue supporting partnerships between Japanese and African creators and companies through programmes such as the Africa Soft Power Caravan “Super Japan”, alongside other initiatives designed to encourage innovation and cross-border business opportunities.
