The Federal Government has cancelled plans to build the proposed Muhammadu Buhari Film Village in Kano State after opposition from Muslim clerics and social media.
More than N3bn had been budgeted to provide state-of-the-art facilities for the Hausa language film industry, known as Kannywood.
The government said the project would create thousands of job opportunities and promote cultural activities.
Muslims clerics have said that the project would promote immorality.
People on social media also called on the government to stop the plan.
Locals have said the project is not a priority – they say the government should instead focus on the revival of dams for agricultural development in the area.
Leading those vehemently opposed to the project is Sheik Abdallah Usman Gadan Kanya, a PhD holder from the Bayero University Kano.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, announced the cancellation of the project saying that the people have had their say, and the government has heeded them.
Promoter of the project and member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said at a recent interactive session with Kannywood stakeholders that the proposed 20-hectare centre would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for film making.
“The film village has cinematography centre, 400-capacity auditorium for training, hostel, sound stage, eatery block, three-star hotel, shopping mall, stadium, clinic, among others,” he said.
According to him, the centre was modelled after similar facilities in India and China.
Jibrin also revealed that N1billion would soon be released by the federal government for the kick-off of the initial stage of the project.
Kannywood leading actor and director, Ali Nuhu, told the BBC that he was confounded by the decision to scrap the project.
Nuhu attended the interactive session in the company of Nuhu, Falalu Dorayi, Ummah Shehu, Rahama Sadau and other stars.
Ever since its creation more than 20 years ago, Kannywood has attracted a lot of criticism from the conservative society in the mainly Muslim city.
It has been accused of encouraging teenage girls to run away from home in the hope of becoming actresses.
Kannywood films are produced in the Hausa language and distributed in the Muslim-dominated north.
Most Nigerian films are produced in the south but in English and Pidgin-English.
This film industry, known as Nollywood, is the country’s biggest cultural export and has made a name for Nigerian artists across Africa.
