Economy diversification: Film industry is the new oil well – Adedayo Thomas

Favour Ishember, Abuja

As governments at all levels grapple with economic challenges and consider diversification of their economies, the film industry is “the new oil” that can attract investors, create jobs and boost the nation’s GDP if adequate attention is given to it.

The Director, National Film and Video Censors Bord, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas stated this in a media chart when he paid a courtesy visit to the national president, Nigeria union of Journalist on Friday, in Abuja.

Thomas, who pointed that the film industry in Nigeria is currently the largest employer of labour, with its exponential growth, said CinemaCon, the largest gathering of movie theater owners from around the world, celebrated Nigerian Cinema with the ‘Emerging Market Award in 2019; an award Nigeria still holds uncontested till date.

While congratulating the NUJ National President,Chris Isiguzo, on his recent re-election for second term, Alhaji Adedayo said Isiguzo’s re-election for second term is a clear indication that members of the union across the country appreciates his leadership style and want him to consolidate on it.

In the words of the Director:”this visit to the National Secretariat today is very significant to me in particular for two reasons; First, It is an‘home coming’ for me after my reappointment by President Muhammadu Buhari in May this year, because I belong to the NUJ family. Secondly, it is to formally brief you and my other colleagues on the practical steps the NFVCB under my watch, as the regulator of the second largest film industry in the world, has so far taken to ensure the industry is well managed for improved national economic growth”

Specking on the functions of the Bord, the Director said as a Federal Government regulatory agency, the National Film Video Censors Board was set up by Act No.85 of 1993 to contribute to the positive transformation of the Nigerian society through censorship of film and video works, whilst balancing the need to preserve freedom of expression within the law, and limit social harm caused by films.

” In the past four years, the current management of the NFVCB has aggressively taken on the challenges facing the Nigerian film and video industry through deliberate and practical steps towards repositioning the sector; these include sustained stakeholders engagement, rigorous capacity building for its workforce, enhanced enforcement operations as well as building relevant partnerships to ensure that the sector do not just conform with global standards, but attracts investors, and thereby contributing more to national economy” he added.

In his response, the national president, Nigeria Union of Journalist, mr.Chris Isiguzo, who appreciated the gusture also call on the Federal government to reconsider it’s position of focusing only on the oil sector and begin to invest mercively in the film industry so that it will be another big revenue earner for country.

“I must say that film industry in Nigeria has continued to grow in It’s bounds , you even observe that it has statistically overtaken Bolly wood and is now competing to a very large extent will Hollywood which is also very good to hear”

“because very soon there may not be oil even the oil you have may not even have any meaning but the creative industry will continue to grow ; that’s why I want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal government to reconsider it’s position and begin to invest mercively in the film industry so that it will be another big revenue earner for Nigeria” he advised.

“the industry has created a lot of jobs for our young people; every day you see new faces, assuming this industry is not waxing this strong and all these people are in the street, you know the implecation, so is important that govt continue to do the needful”

“because by the time such investment are made, we would have helped in ensuring our economy because there appears to be a global economy challenge , and other countries are also looking at other areas of investment and diversification; but a situation where we continue to run on amono economy, it will never help us at all”

Identifying piracy as a key challenge confronting the film industry, Asiguzo however, urged the Bord Director to activate some of the legal instrument to curb the activities of pirates in other to substantially motivate investors in the the industry.

” I know that another key problems the industry has faced over time like you observed is the problem of adultration, “piracy” , people will make effort to put a movie together and some body some where is making a living out of the effort of other people, that doesn’t look good.

“You have to redouble your efforts in checking the activities of pirates so that if people have made effort to put up this movies there should be what we call return on investment”

He acknowledged the necessity for both the media and the film industry to come together and find common ground on how to partner each other with a view to helping the country address its miriads of problems and challenges.