2018: Nollywood stakeholders set agenda for govt

While many individuals and corporate organizations arbusy counting their gains and losses in the just expired year, others are strategising to make the best of 2018. And the stakeholders in the Nigerian movie industry otherwise known as Nollywood are no exception.

Unarguably, the industry witnessed a significant growth last year compared to the successive years. It’s the expectations of the stakeholders that the government should consolidate on the gains of the expired year so as to move the industry forward in 2018.

Although, some stakeholders who spoke to HVP, unanimously agreed that the government made concerted efforts last year to create an enabling environment for the industry to thrive, they, however, maintained that the industry is largely under-funded and private sector driven.

In the area of tackling the menace of piracy, they acknowledged the efforts of the regulatory body, National Film and Videos Censors Board, NFVCB, which set up a national task force, collaborating with its sister agency, NCC and the Nigeria Police to clamp down on movie pirates, leading to the arrest of five suspected music and movie pirates. They are currently standing trial for copyright infringement and use of premises to promote copyright infringement. . The stakeholders urged government to intensify the fight against piracy.

Govt. should bring to life the much desired MOPICON

According to Mr. Alex Eyengho, Vice President of International Federation of Film Producers Associations,FIAPF, Nollywood in 2017 did fairly better than 2016.

“The quality of films produced in terms of picture, sound and story structure improved albeit with the downside of over concentration on comedy against serious films in terms of genre. Globally, the Nollywood brand was further deepened with the reelection of a Nigerian Alex Eyengho as a Vice President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.”

“This is in addition to the globalization of most of our films. Some films stood out last year. The government also made deliberate and conscious efforts at adding value to Nollywood and indeed the Nigerian creative industries generally. Sadly, the associations and guilds operated on a mute silence mode in 2017.”

However, Eyengho regretted that government failed to energize the industry or even deepen the Nollywood brand. “The distribution leg of the tripod called Project Act Nollywood, which money was released also failed to meet the expectations of the industry! Kudos also to the government for finally ratifying four very important WIPO treaties aimed at sentencing intellectual property theft to death,” he added. “In 2018, we are looking forward to government bringing to life the much desired Motion Picture Practitioners Council,MOPICON, domesticate the ratified WIPO treaties and make the distribution leg of the Project Act Nollywood meaningful to the industry.

“But before the coming of MOPICON, the guilds and associations must wake up from their slumber as well as the regulatory agencies for the industry,” he said.

Govt. should put structure in place

Also, speaking in the same vein, Mr Emeka Rollas, National President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, said it’s high time the government put proper structure in place for Nollywood to thrive in addition to backing it up with financial support. “We cannot leave it for only foreign investors or individuals. You can imagine over 20 years of Nollywood yet practitioners keep disturbing individuas houses for films locations instead of having befitting film sets for productions. Government should take us more seriously as an industry that is contributing to the national GDP. They should stop commending Nollywood on the pages of newspapers and massaging our ego and as objects of image laundry and invest more in the industry as it’s doing in other sectors of the economy,” AGN president stated.

But for popular actor cum director, Ugeze J. Ugeze, government should not give grants to the film makers who have not produced any entertainment content. “It’s strange that government has continued to release funds to support the industry, and yet the practitioners are not accessing the funds. Importantly, there is need for government to strengthen the war against piracy,” he said.

‘Ministry of Finance should approve the levy order for the creative industry’

For popular film director and producer, Lancelot Imasuen, there is the urgent need for the government to provide infrastructures to enable the film industry grow bigger and stronger. “We have cinema houses in almost all the states of the federation. The issue of piracy should be given more attention. The right laws and implementation should be key,”Lancelot posited. Speaking further, he said there is the need for the government to set up a major task force that will clamp down on pirates at Alaba International market. He also wants every state government to deliberately activate the entertainment sector in their respective states if they are serious about job creation and fighting crimes in the country.

On her own, actress cum producer, Chioma Okoye wants governors of the South-East states not only to embrace the Igbo movies, but also, empower the film makers. “ I will be happy to see the eastern governors embracing Igbo movies, and empowering Igbo film makers in the right ways. ” The same way, actress Uche Mac-Auley wants the government to create avenues for more grants on both state and federal levels and make such grants accessible to the film makers.

Entertainment lawyer and film maker, Nobert Ajeagbu wants the government to be more proactive in the support of the Nigerian creative industry. ” Specifically, he wants to see the MOPICON bill in the National Assembly, in addition to seeing more support from the government to the creative industry.

“ I also want to see the Ministry of Finance approve the levy order for the creative industry in 2018,” said Ajeagbu.