Content creators exploit fears about traditional beliefs for views – Ayo Adams

Yoruba cultural storyteller Ayo Adams speaks with Damola Adedigba on preserving Yoruba history, responsible digital storytelling and the dangers of sensationalising cultural traditions for online views.

How did your journey as a content creator begin?

My journey as a content creator started from my foundation, nursery and primary school. Back then, we used to do playlets and extracurricular activities that showcased performance arts and storytelling.

I went further in my academic journey to study Theatre Arts at the University of Ilorin, and I hold a master’s degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Ibadan.

What inspired you to focus on Yoruba culture?

I decided to focus on Yoruba culture because this is where I belong. I realised that people understand many stories better when they are told in indigenous languages, so I had to stick to this path. Since many people have been able to understand the messages I am trying to pass across, I believe it is proper and good to continue along this path.

Was there a particular experience that made you realise the importance of documenting Yoruba traditions?

Yes. In 2020, I made a video about Adebisi Idikan House, who was one of Ibadan’s richest men during his time. When I shared his story on social media, I realised that many people had never heard about him or did not have enough information about the circumstances surrounding his life.

It made me realise that we had a lot of work to do as storytellers interested in documenting Yoruba traditions. That moment was a defining one for me, and it motivated me to do more.

How has your journey evolved from when you started to where you are today?

My journey has evolved from being a student director at the University of Ilorin to becoming a tour guide. In 2018, I co-founded a tour community with a group of friends.

I later collaborated with friends to produce stage plays before venturing into photography, particularly documentary photography, and eventually documentary videography and filmmaking.

Over time, I have combined these experiences to become a multimedia storyteller. Today, I work as a documentary photographer, documentary filmmaker and video editor, drawing on the skills and experience I have gained throughout my journey.

What has been your most challenging experience while documenting Yoruba culture?

One of the most challenging experiences I have had while documenting Yoruba culture is gaining access to certain spaces and getting people to sit down and tell us stories about what they know about their culture.

Another challenge is bias. Sometimes, people have already formed opinions about a particular story or developed their perspectives before you present another side of it.

However, if you are able to present the story properly, you may influence their perspectives and help them see things through the new lens.

Do you think young Nigerians are learning Yoruba culture through your content, or losing its deeper meaning?

I believe young Nigerians are learning Yoruba culture through my content. It is not just about what I say; it also reflects in the way I dress.

Sometimes, people say, “Oh, I love the way you rock your caps.” The cap has become a symbol for me, and it is part of our culture. Many people now wear the cap because they see me wearing it.

Through my interviews and the kind of videos we make, people are also able to learn one or two things about Yoruba history. I believe they are not losing the deeper meaning of the culture through my content; rather, they are understanding the context and content of what we share.

Have you ever felt pressured to sensationalise a cultural practice to make your content go viral?

I do not feel that I have any reason to pressure myself to sensationalise a cultural practice or festival to make my content go viral. I already have a structure for telling my stories, and I follow it.

I believe that if a story does not go viral at a particular time, it does not mean the story has failed. People will discover it when the time comes. If only one or two people benefit from a story when it is published and it does not go viral, I am fine with that.

Eventually, these stories find their audiences and do well when the time is right.

How do you ensure that the cultural stories you share are accurate?

I have never shared a cultural story and later discovered that the information was inaccurate.

I always take my time to find people who are authorities in the subject and ask them questions. I also conduct my own fact-checking before publishing a story.

I care so much about my reputation, and I know that people follow me because they believe I share genuine stories. Therefore, I would not want to damage the trust they have in me. I have been careful to ensure that I verify information before sharing it.

The research I conduct to ensure accuracy in cultural stories takes different forms. One of them is reading. I read different accounts by scholars about the cultural stories I want to document.

I also look for multimedia materials online to see what people have said and documented. We compare these accounts and check whether they align with the information in the written documents.

After that, we speak with people who are alive and knowledgeable about each particular cultures and cultural practices. We compare their accounts with the information we have gathered so far instead of relying on a single source.

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We also consider the positions these individuals hold in their communities when assessing the information they provide.

How do you decide which Yoruba cultural practices to share publicly and which should remain sacred?

I have had the opportunity to attend storytelling training programmes, through which I have learnt what to show people and what not to show them. I have also learnt to understand what could be harmful to a group of people and what is safe to share.

Keeping the lessons from these trainings in mind has helped me assess what I should publish and what I should not.

Sometimes, I ask the people I am documenting whether certain aspects of their traditions are meant for the public. When they say they are not, I keep them away from the public eye. When they give permission to share certain information, I go ahead and publish it.

So, I believe through proper communication and engagement, you understand what to share and what not to share.

Do you think some content creators exploit people’s fears about traditional beliefs to attract views?

Yes, I think this happens. Some content creators exploit people’s fears to attract views, and we should not do this because we may misrepresent people’s cultures and ways of life by sensationalising stories.

I believe we should present facts as facts and represent people as they are without trying to distort their stories. Sometimes, you go online and see people sensationalising their headlines, which can cause fear-mongering.

For instance, someone might claim to have documented Nigeria’s most feared festival, but when you watch the content, it does not align with the headline. So, where is the most feared aspect they are talking about?

As content creators, filmmakers and storytellers, we have a responsibility to uphold the dignity of our people and avoid causing more chaos in society. We already have people who oppose certain religions and beliefs. When we present stories in a way that makes people appear frightening, we create more problems than solutions.

Our responsibility is to make society better than we met it.

How concerned are you that AI-generated videos could spread false information about Yoruba history?

I am very concerned. AI has made it easier to create videos and audio materials, and in the hands of a mischievous person, it can cause a lot of damage.

Someone can create a video using the likeness of a respected figure in society and make it appear as though the person is saying something they never said. The person may not even be aware that such a video exists.

What is more important is that storytellers use AI responsibly to promote narratives where necessary. I cannot say I am against AI or that people should not use it. People must use AI, but they must use it responsibly.

Should content creators who spread false cultural information be held accountable?

I believe content creators should be held accountable if they spread false cultural information. However, sometimes, it may not be their intention to mislead people.

When a content creator is called out for sharing inaccurate information, the right thing to do is to own up to the mistake, apologise and make corrections where necessary.

This is different from someone who deliberately puts false stories together to mislead people or promote propaganda. If anyone consistently shares false stories to provoke society, they should be held responsible for their actions. However, when someone makes an occasional mistake and takes responsibility for it, we should give them room to learn and grow.

How has social media helped you make Yoruba culture appealing to young Nigerians?

One of the things social media has helped me achieve is removing the traditional barriers to sharing information.

Some years ago, sharing a documentary you had produced might have required access to television or radio. However, I can now put a story together in the field or in my house and publish it directly on my social media platforms.

This allows me to introduce cultural stories to many young Nigerians from the comfort of my home. Social media has helped democratise access to information, as people can now see our work through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X and other platforms.

How do you sustain your cultural preservation work financially without depending solely on viral content and sponsorships?

I do this by trying to build a viable creative practice. When I am not documenting culture, I engage in commercial projects and provide services to people.

I use the money I earn from these other projects to fund my cultural preservation work. We also seek funding to support some of the stories we want to document, rather than depend solely on viral content or sponsorships.

I believe it is only a matter of time before we achieve more in this area.

What legacy do you hope to leave through your work, and what would you want future generations to learn from it?

I want to leave a legacy that helps people understand who we are, where we come from and where we aspire to be in the years to come.

Some of the works we have produced will continue to exist even when we are no longer here. So, I want future generations to learn from these projects, be inspired by them and create even more exciting projects, whether we are still here to witness them or not. I also hope to mentor them to continue this work.