Veteran actor Emeka Ike has raised concerns about the management of funds allocated to the Nigerian film industry.
In a recent interview with Premium Times, Emeka referred to the N3 billion fund introduced during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
In March 2013, Jonathan launched a N3 billion initiative, “Project Nollywood” aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s film industry.
At the time, Nollywood was growing in production and sales but continued to face criticism for its low-quality content.
The initiative sought to provide grants for film scripts, support skill development and improve industry infrastructure.
However, many filmmakers struggled to access the funds, claiming they were unfairly distributed to a select few.
This was not the first instance of funding concerns in the industry.
A previous $200 million (N32 billion) revolving loan scheme announced by Jonathan in 2010 also faced criticism over accessibility issues.
The movie star highlighted the lack of industry structures and unity as key factors contributing to the poor distribution of funds.
He called for stronger governance and formal industry frameworks to prevent similar issues in the future.
He emphasised that the lack of accountability hindered proper fund allocation, arguing that if the government had engaged with industry bodies like the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) or the Theatre Arts Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), the process could have been more transparent and equitable.
“Moving forward, I would advice that if we have structures like AGN, NANTAP, ANTP, and AMP, the government should consider releasing such funds after establishing a relationship with the bodies representing us,” Emeka said.
He concluded, “Dealing with individuals like me or Uncle Bob Manuel alone is not enough. It should be an industry-wide process with a clear framework representing all of Nollywood.”
