Pan African banking and financial services group United Bank for Africa (Plc) has restated its commitment to the growth and development of the African movie industry by supporting the making of 93 Days, an inspirational movie on Ebola as it happened in Nigeria.
The movie tells the story of the victory over the scourge that would have ravaged the country in 2014 but for the collective efforts of some brave institutions and individuals. It pays tribute to the late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh who died from contracting the virus whilst she was trying to save others.
Speaking at the World Press Conference in Lagos, Nigeria to announce the movie and unveil the cast, Charles Aigbe, UBA Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations, said “UBA is supporting the making of the movie because what happened in Nigeria is a positive story of courage, resilience, selflessness, teamwork and collaboration that must be told for posterity”.
Mr. Aigbe reiterated UBA’s commitment to Ebola relief saying “we have operations in 19 African countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are 3 of the worst hit countries. During the Ebola crisis, we remained open for business and never for once closed shop on account of the scourge. We also donated over $1million to Ebola relief measures in Africa.”
Explaining the rationale behind the movie, Steve Gukas, the movie director said “Our aim is to create a feature film that will resonate with many people across the world, particularly in Nigeria and its sub-region. At its core, 93 Days is a tale of common humanity and just how much we can achieve when we stand united”
The movie which is currently filming in Lagos, features a star-studded cast of Hollywood and Nollywood actors and actresses, including movie veterans; Danny Glover, Tim Reid, Bimbo Akintola and Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey.
The UBA Group is one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, operating in 19 African countries, as well as New York, London and Paris. The Group provides banking services to over 9 million customers across Africa and has been in the vanguard of efforts to support and develop the continent including the African movie industry.
“Recall we sponsored the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for years because we saw it as a platform to encourage and promote story telling in Africa. We firmly believe that through cinema, we can tell our story as Africans, documenting our history and engendering a positive perception of the continent and its peoples,” said Aigbe.
