–By Gertrude Onyekachukwu-Uteh and Ese Laura Oghene:

Arnold Irabor is the CEO of Epoch Art Audio-Visual and the Director of Extreme Reloaded Art House. He was trained and established in Audio Visual Services by the Delta State Government in its Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) in the 2016/2017 cycle. He hails from Ika South Local Government area. 

A Fisheries and Aquaculture graduate, Arnold has a Master’s degree and is currently studying for his Ph.D. in Sustainable Aquaculture. Despite his educational background in Agricultural discipline, his passion for the arts is overwhelming. He shares his experience.

“My training and establishment by the State Government enhanced my relevance in the entertainment industry. As a trained editor, producer and director, I now edit events, movies and have produced and directed notable movies and stage plays. Through these, I have been able to generate some money which contributed to my Master’s and Doctorate degree programmes. I hope to have a lecturing job, while the movie industry complements it. 

“I have trained over 10 persons; I have three employees. To succeed, one has to be innovative.  I have two movies with Africa Magic, four on You-Tube and several skits. I also collaborate with the Smart Delta Crew to produce most of their documentary promos.

“I have an event coverage squad comprising a DJ, an MC, a photographer, a videographer (myself) and a makeup artist. We are a network of friends who work together to spice up events. I have met several renowned professional in the industry. Linking with them have really added to my experience. All these I learnt through the job creation training.”