Growing up, Nino Kojo Abass had a very different future in mind.
At just 11 years old, he dreamed of becoming a medical doctor. It wasn’t a random childhood fantasy. Having battled several medical complications from birth, he had spent much of his early life around hospitals and doctors. To him, they were heroes, people who saved lives. His mother even affectionately called him “Dr. Abass Bundu.”
But somewhere between childhood and the future he had imagined for himself, something unexpected happened. Walls started becoming canvases.
By the time he reached Class Six, Abass had developed a fascination with drawing and recreating images. He improvised tracing paper by applying kerosene to sheets of paper and spent time recreating visuals that caught his attention. Around that period, a television program on GTV called Hobby Time introduced Abass to different forms of artistic expression, paper crafts, mosaics, drawing, and painting. His mother noticed his growing interest and intentionally gave him the space to explore it. That was when everything shifted.
“Becoming an artist became more fun than becoming a doctor,” Abass shared. That curiosity slowly transformed into commitment. Abass pursued Visual Arts in senior high school, immersing himself in ceramics, textiles, graphic design, painting, bead-making and general knowledge in art. The learning did not stop there. Before entering university, he spent three months studying computer graphics and mastering Corel Draw. By the time he entered Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to study Communication Design, Abass already had a foundation in design principles.
The university became a place of exploration. Photography caught his attention first. Then came videography. Then editing, motion graphics, sound engineering and directing. Every new skill felt like opening another door.
Yet one particular experience became a defining point in his creative journey. While at KNUST, a tragic incident involving a student deeply affected him.
Rather than simply reacting, he transformed his thoughts into storytelling. He wrote, produced and directed a campus series called Pause, designed to reveal aspects of university life that often go unseen by parents and authorities. The project attracted sponsorships, audiences and institutional support, proving to him that storytelling had power.
After National Service, he stepped fully into agency life, joining Ronin Africa before moving to Workspace Global and eventually joining EchoHouse, where he has spent the last five years growing into leadership roles.
Today, Abass serves as Content Director and Head of StoryBoard, EchoHouse’s production department, balancing creative leadership with production management. His responsibilities stretch across strategy, directing, production and execution, ensuring ideas move from concept to reality.
Throughout the years, certain projects reminded him why he chose this path. Producing campaigns for brands like Royal Aroma, leading documentary productions for GoldFields in Tarkwa, directing Tidal Rave Festival productions and contributing to global projects all became moments of validation, moments that made years of experimenting, learning and growing worthwhile.
Still, the journey was not always smooth. There were moments he nearly convinced himself to walk away from creativity entirely. At one point, he considered leaving the industry for farming. But two things kept him moving: his mother’s support and his portfolio, physical proof of his growth over time.
For him, success itself has changed over the years. As a child, success meant dependence and dreams shaped by others. Today, it means something simpler and more meaningful: taking care of family, managing responsibilities and earning respect through the work he has built.
Abass believes many people still underestimate the creative industry. To outsiders, it may look like simply holding a camera or creating content, but he sees it differently.
Creativity opens doors. It creates opportunities to sit in rooms you never imagined entering, to meet people you never thought you would meet and to build influence through ideas.
For the next generation of African creatives, his message is simple:
“Be bold in every decision and make the mistakes. That is the only way you can grow.”