The Lagos State Government has reassured Nigerian filmmakers of its continued support in building a thriving film industry.
It made the pledge at a business roundtable put together by Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Africa Film Academy (AFA) tagged Nollywood: A fresh Perspective in Filmmaking on the sideline of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Wednesday, September 14.
Speaking at the event, Lagos State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Adeniji Kazeem, said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is committed to the entertainment industry because of its key role in the economy of the state.
He pointed out that the state was pleasantly pleased to be represented at one of the biggest film festivals in the world.
“The Lagos State Government has been in the forefront of promoting entertainment. The industry played a critical role in Governor Ambode’s election campaign and eventual victory. His trademark THESE Programme which stands for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sport for Excellence is in fulfillment of the promise to position the state as a destination of choice for local and international businesses,” Mr. Kazeem said.
He assured filmmakers and other stakeholders present that the government will continue to “walk the talk” by protecting the interest of investors.
On co-production treaties and other bilateral arrangement to expose filmmakers to best global practices, Kazeem said “such are outside the purview of the state government. That is for the Federal Government. But given our interest in Nollywood and mindful of the opportunities in having co-production agreements with other countries, we will try and push for it through the relevant federal institutions like the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Federal Attorney General.
“Our Copyright Act is clearly behind time. It has to be revised. We also have to try and push that as much as possible because it is crucial to what we do. The head of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) is also a personal friend of mine and we will see what we can do”
Pointing out that security is key in promoting arts and culture; the commissioner added that “Lagos has made a massive stride in improving security. If we want Lagos to become a film destination and people need to be safe and secure. Filmmakers must put pressure on the relevant federal institutions and Lagos State will be very pleased to help.
“The government is very interested in this industry. It creates job, it puts us on the world map.”
General Manager of the Bank of Industry, Joseph Babatunde spoke on the level of investments the bank has in Nollywood.
Mr. Babatunde said the bank gave funds to Film One, Silverbird Galleria, Ozone Cinemas and others to build cinemas across Nigeria and this investment has brought back the cinema culture in Nigeria with most Nigerian films grossing huge box office revenues.
“We are proud to say that with the BoI support Nigeria now has over 130 screens in 29 Cinemas from what used to be under 30 screens before. We have invested in Studios too for production so that our film makers can do their post-production work in Nigeria. We have given money to 4 studios. We have also developed framework for funding of community cinemas and we believe this will provide more channels for our producers to make money from their films,” Babatunde said.
On immediate plans for the sector, Babatunde disclosed that community cinemas to roll out by October so that people can watch films with as little as N200.
“We believe that cinema should not just be an elitist thing. A small hall with functional furniture will benefit particularly people in the rural community with a lot of idle time especially in the evening. We want to reach out more so we can be of more benefit to the movie producers.”
Chief Executive Officer of AFA, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, thanked the Lagos State Government for supporting the City to City project of TIFF 2016.
“The journey to get Nollywood to Toronto took many years. This is the first major film festival in the world to recognize the Nigerian film industry. It is the biggest film festival in terms of distribution. It is an indicator for what is likely to be the next big film at the Oscars.
“One thing we should take away from here is that we need to fight piracy. We also need a film office that is very functional in Lagos State. BoI and everybody involved should make it easier for us to get funding needed to produce films.
“We need to look at country to country relationships. For the first time, we have the studios in Nigeria. We don’t have to go to South Africa for production,” Anyiam-Osigwe said.
Challenging other state governments, the Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), the AFA boss “if others did half of what Lagos has done, we would be a lot better off by now.”
Responding to actresses Omoni Oboli, Uche Jombo and Ufuoma McDermott, who complained of lack of sponsorship to the festival, Anyiam-Osigwe called on Nollywood to put its house in order.
Hear her: “Since 2003, former Governor Bola Tinubu during a meeting we had with him at Eko Hotel approved land for Nollywood for a film Village in Lagos. He asked us to choose where we want the land between Epe and Badagry. Till date we have not been able to access the land because different groups and individuals will go to Alausa with letters that they are the authentic Nollywood.
“I don’t understand how people claim ownership of an industry. We must work together and with government to get all the institutional supports we need through policies and legislation. We need government to fight piracy and we also need to push government to sign co-production treaties with other countries.”
Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos on Arts & Culture, Adebimpe Akinsola, said “our experience with the industry with different people and groups demanding for different things has been a very tasking one.
“The industry professionals need to come together and speak with one voice. I want to let you know the land the former Governor approved for film village is still available and the State Government is willing and ready to work with the industry.”
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, also pointed out that the government was part of the production of 93 Days, one of the eight Nigerian films screened at the festival.
“We sponsored 20 people to this festival and the 20 people include journalists and some of the guild leaders. This is about the best the state can do at this time. We also provided the Lagos Stand where delegates from Nigeria could converge and network with other professionals around the world. I would like to say some of the support Omoni talked about should come from the Federal Government through the Censors Board and Nigeria Film Corporation. As a state, Lagos has done very well coming to TIFF,” Mr. Ayorinde said.
He recalled an experience when the NFC came to the festival some years ago with only its then boss, Afolabi Adesanya, and how the Nigerian stand was deserted because of improper coordination.
Kazeem concluded that a case has been made for the resuscitation of the Lagos Film Office to address some of the issues raised at the roundtable.
“It is in our own interest that the movie industry is well structured. If the entire value chain is working well and thriving, then you can employ more people, pay more tax and help develop the economy of the state,” he rounded off.
