Festus Iyorah

Projects & campaigns

Stories that move people

National conservation campaigns, children’s television, documentaries and media partnerships, led from Lagos for Wild Africa.

Wild Africa · 2023 – present

Campaigns & programmes

Public awareness · 2023 – present

88% recognition in an independent national survey of 1,000 respondents

National conservation awareness campaigns

Multi-channel campaigns across traditional media, digital platforms and influencer partnerships, backed by a pro bono network of celebrity ambassadors from entertainment and sport.

  • 39% behaviour change recorded in the same survey
  • 500M+ social media views for ambassador videos on deforestation and illegal bushmeat
  • Campaign reach up 70% across 30+ earned media platforms and social channels

Campaign lead · Wild Africa · Nigeria

Children’s television · 2023

97% awareness among Nigerian teenagers aged 10–17

Dr Mark Animal Show

Nigeria’s first conservation TV show for children, now broadcast in seven African countries and translated into three languages.

  • Led scripting, production coordination and nationwide distribution
  • Broadcast in seven African countries
  • Translated into three languages

Co-producer · Wild Africa · Seven African countries

Media partnerships · 2023 – present

30+ earned media partners across TV, radio, print, billboards and digital

Earned media network and conservation programming

Negotiated short- and long-term media partnership agreements and co-produces weekly and monthly conservation programmes with national broadcasters.

  • Weekly and monthly conservation programmes on national media
  • 88% increase in national awareness and conservation education

Partnerships lead and co-producer · Wild Africa · Nigeria

Training · Three years

70+ journalists and radio hosts trained

Environmental journalism workshops

Workshops and knowledge sessions to strengthen environmental reporting in Nigerian newsrooms and on radio.

  • Nearly 100 pieces of environmental content produced by participants

Organiser · Wild Africa · Nigeria

Strategic communications

60%+ engagement from key sector stakeholders

Sector communications alignment

Aligned messaging among civil society organisations, researchers, policymakers and donors so the conservation sector speaks with one voice.

Lead · Wild Africa · Nigeria

Broadcast

Conservation public service announcements

Celebrity-led PSAs on illegal bushmeat and wildlife protection, broadcast across television, radio and digital platforms.

  • Scripts and creative direction
  • Language, cultural mannerisms and native-language versions
  • Ambassador recruitment and coordination

Scriptwriter and creative director · Wild Africa · Nigeria

Children’s television · Co-producer

Dr Mark Animal Show

Watch on YouTube ↗

Festus co-produced Nigeria’s first conservation TV show for children, launched in 2023 and now broadcast in seven African countries and translated into three languages. In Nigeria, the show achieved 97% awareness among teenagers aged 10–17. He led scripting, production coordination and nationwide distribution.

Launched
2023
Countries
7
Languages
3
Teen awareness (Nigeria)
97%

Broadcast · Scriptwriter and creative director

Conservation public service announcements

Watch on YouTube ↗

Festus writes the scripts and sets the creative direction for Wild Africa’s public service announcements: the language, the cultural mannerisms, native-language versions and how each message fits the ambassador’s own brand. He also works with the team to bring celebrity ambassadors on board and coordinates them through production.

Documentary series · 2023

Unsung Heroes

Watch on YouTube ↗

Producer and co-director · for Wild Africa

Celebrating African leaders in conservation

A documentary series celebrating African leaders in conservation. Each film follows one person protecting a Nigerian forest, lagoon or species, and the communities working alongside them.

Released
2023
Films
3
Broadcast
5 TV stations in Nigeria

Omo Forest

Emmanuel Olabode

Emmanuel and his team lead the on-the-ground effort to protect the remaining elephants of Omo Forest, one of Nigeria’s last stretches of intact rainforest, while confronting deforestation and human–wildlife conflict every day.

“The forests are part of our cultural heritage and the elephants a part of our cultural identity.”

Watch the film ↗

Lekki Lagoon

Dr. Bolaji Dunsin

A lifelong mission to save the African manatee from hunting. By redesigning fishing gear, he helped former hunters build new livelihoods; the community now produces more than 1.5 tonnes of fish a year. His work with other scientists to identify manatee calls is shedding light on their numbers and movements.

Watch the film ↗

Emerald Forest Reserve

Prof. Akin Abayomi

Protecting a biodiversity hotspot that shelters endangered species and helps regulate the local climate and water cycle, by putting the surrounding community at the centre of conservation and a sustainable economy.

“Climate change and loss of biodiversity is a significant global security issue.”

Watch the film ↗

Behind the work

From the field

Commissions, partnerships, speaking

Working on a story or a campaign?