Francis Y. Brown, founder of AnimaxFYB Studios, an animation studio in Ghana, has called on the Ghanaian government to implement intentional measures to formalize Ghana’s animation industry.
Francis Y. Brown made this statement during a press briefing in Accra on Monday, following the studio’s return from the TAIDO African Animation Awards in Tokyo, Japan, where AnimaxFYB won three awards for its contributions to African storytelling in animation.
In excerpts of his speech, Mr. Brown stated that the Ghanaian animation industry stands to risk opportunities to establish itself as a leading animation sector in Africa if heavy investments in technical skills development and structural national framework policies are absent.
“Ghana can become the animation hub of West Africa; we need to institutionalize it, making it not just a leading animation studio, but a leading animation hub that has all the players involved,” he said.
Comparing the international animation and African animation industries with regards to market value estimations, he stated that the global animation market was valued at $436 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach about $895 billion by 2034, while the African animation market was estimated at $15.7 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $29.5 billion by 2033, according to MarketDataForecast.
“We have just eight years to double the industry’s revenue,” he said, highlighting streaming platforms, artificial intelligence, video games, and educational media as key drivers of growth.
Mr. Brown also stated that major international animation studios are currently outsourcing talents from Africa due to the retrenchment of in-house teams, which is creating job opportunities for animators in African countries, including Ghana.
“Studios are no longer interested in having large numbers within their spaces. They are relying heavily on talent globally, which we are not excluded from,” he said.
He also highlighted intellectual property as a growing source of economic value, adding that developed countries prioritize IP over raw materials.
“IP creation is the new gold. Developed countries are chasing intellectual property, not extractive materials,” he said.
Speaking on the studio’s latest achievement in Tokyo, earned through the TAIDO Project, a Japan-Africa animation initiative backed by the Japan External Trade Organisation and Sony’s non-profit organisation, Arc and Beyond, Brown stated that the awards highlighted the goals Ghanaian studios can achieve when granted access to international mentorship and advanced technical schemes and tools.
Brown concluded that animation serves as a major selling point for educational digital storytelling and should not be relegated to entertainment alone, as art and science are key factors driving global development.
“Animation is core infrastructure for digital storytelling,” he said. “Art and science are truly the development factors of each and every country in this world.”
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, congratulated AnimaxFYB on its awards and described the TAIDO Project as a bridge towards strengthening relations between Ghana and Japan.
“Let this be the start of a new era where Japanese technology and the Ghanaian soul create content that captivates the entire world,” Ambassador Yoshimoto said.
He noted that 2027 marks significant milestones: the centenary of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s arrival in Ghana, the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties, and the 50th anniversary of JICA volunteer programs in Ghana.
About AnimaxFYB Studios
AnimaxFYB Studios is a Ghanaian animation studio founded by Francis Y. Brown in 2014, specializing in 2D and 3D animation, visual effects, and post-production services. Francis Y. Brown, an award-winning filmmaker and member of the International Academy of Arts and Sciences (EMMY), leads the studio, producing impactful projects including “Osei Tutu”, a 24-minute animated episode about the Ashanti king who fought for his people’s freedom, “Agorkoli”, an animated story about the Ewe people’s migration, and recent films “Jabari” (2023) and “Blinded by the Lights” (2025).