Nigeria animated film industry needs FG, private sector support – Official
NAN-F-4
Collaboration
By Maureen Okon
Abuja, Nov. 17, 2016 (NAN) The Director, International Cultural Relations, Federal Ministry of Information, Mr George Ufot, has called for effective support from the Federal Government and private sector to boost Nigeria’s film industry.
Ufot made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
He said that the country’s film industry would improve when through strong partnership and support from the government and private sector investors.
The director was reacting to the collaboration between the French, Japanese and Nigerian Animated Film festival.
Ufot said that the technology used during the film festival can be projected in a modern way, if necessary infrastructure and equipment were put in a place.
“At the festival they played around with high technology, technology in science, technology in computer, technology in television, production and film production.
“Traditionally, we have an invasion of our old folk’s stories and all the beautiful stories about tortoise and all that stuff can be seen in the same way as the one at that festival.
“But then this is being projected with the modern equipment and I mean the lasted equipment you can find in the industry.
“We need to collaborate definitely for this high technology, even Mr Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, echoed this at the French, Japan and Nigeria film festival, when he (minister) said the Federal Government was calling for collaboration in this area.
“Like I said high technology in science, computer, film and television equipment and so much is needed,’’ the director said.
He underscored the fact that talent and creativity has a large market in Nigeria has and considering the population it would be a profitable business.
“In Nigeria, we have the creativity, our people can create but defiantly you will agree with me that we have not attained the level of technology you see in developed countries films.
“One thing going for Nigeria is the population, the population is the already market, I mean the most populated country in the whole of Africa.
“The market is there you would have seen the turn out at the animated film festival; people were excited, something new, and something innovative,’’ Ufot said.
NAN reports that in strengthening the relationship between Nigeria and France, Mr Denys Gauer, the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, assured that an animated film workshop with facilitators from Europe would be organised in 2017. (NAN)
ETIM/MST/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola