Entertainments
How An 18-Year-Old Nigerian Turned A Phone Into A Growing Animation Career
At just 18, Chike-Ukaha Frendad, popularly known online as Frendad Ukaha, is turning his passion for animation into a growing digital career, using short animated stories to entertain audiences and connect with thousands of people online.
Born and raised in Umuahia, Abia State, and originally from Ohafia, Frendad grew up in a creative environment. His father is a sculptor, while his mother is a newscaster who previously worked for the state and now works with a private broadcasting station.
He was also drawn to animated content from an early age, but it was during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 that his interest began to take a more serious direction.
With people confined to their homes and more time available, Frendad began searching for a way to transform the ideas in his head into stories people could see.
Animation provided the answer.
Without access to expensive equipment or a professional studio, he began learning and experimenting with the tools available to him. What started as curiosity gradually became a serious creative pursuit.
Frendad eventually began sharing his work online, particularly on TikTok. His current account, @frendad__ukaha, which he started in 2022, became the platform through which his animated stories reached a growing audience.
The growth did not happen overnight.
Some of his early videos attracted little attention, while others failed to achieve the visibility he had hoped for. Rather than give up, however, he continued creating, experimenting and posting.
Over time, he developed a style centred largely on relatable comedy, everyday Nigerian experiences and situations that audiences could easily recognise.
By turning ordinary experiences into exaggerated animated stories, Frendad has been able to create content that is both simple and entertaining, while establishing an identity of his own in Nigeria’s growing digital creative space.
Today, his TikTok account has attracted more than 260,000 followers.
His animation journey has also evolved beyond entertainment. Frendad now creates animated advertisements and promotional content for brands, musicians and other clients, transforming his creative ability into a source of income.
One of his notable promotional projects was an animated campaign for Ken Sea Chords’ song, “God You Are Good”, which became his most viral promotional project.
His work has also connected him with a wider community of animators and digital creators. Through collaborations and animation communities, he has built relationships with other creatives while continuing to learn and improve his craft.
Interestingly, the young animator has also begun passing on the knowledge he has acquired.
Frendad now organises animation classes where he teaches beginners how to create animated content using their mobile phones. His lessons cover areas including movement, timing, facial expressions, lip-syncing, backgrounds and other fundamentals of animation.
For him, teaching represents another way of giving back to the creative community that has contributed to his own development.
In September 2025, Frendad relocated to Abuja, where he currently lives and studies Computer Science at the University of Abuja.
Although his academic pursuit is rooted in technology, animation remains an important part of his creative identity.
He has also continued expanding his digital footprint. In August 2026, he launched his Instagram and Facebook pages as part of efforts to reach audiences beyond TikTok. His Facebook page has since attracted more than 24,000 followers, while his Instagram audience continues to grow.
Behind the numbers, however, is a story of persistence.
Like many young digital creators, Frendad has had to contend with inconsistent engagement, videos that fail to perform and the pressure to constantly produce new content. His decision to keep creating despite those setbacks has become an important part of his journey.
What began during the 2020 lockdown as a young person’s attempt to bring ideas to life has now developed into a growing creative enterprise.
From learning animation with limited resources to building an audience of hundreds of thousands, producing promotional content, teaching beginners and connecting with fellow animators, Frendad’s experience illustrates how young Nigerians are using digital tools to create new opportunities for themselves.
At 18, he is only beginning to explore the possibilities.
With plans to sharpen his skills, expand across digital platforms and develop his animation business further, Chike-Ukaha Frendad is combining technology, storytelling and humour to build a distinctive place for himself in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving creative economy.