Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has thrown in his weight behind the hosting of the forthcoming ZUMA film festival, which is billed to hold between December 1 and 5, 2017 in Abuja.
Receiving Management of the NFC led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dr, Chidia Maduekwe at the Government House, Umuahia, during the week, Ikpeazu, accompanied by his deputy Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu and other top officials of Abia State government commended the efforts of Nigerians towards the growth of the nation’s film industry. He said that NFC under the leadership of Dr. Maduekwe has charted a new course that would further shape the film industry.
Speaking further, Ikpeazu said NFC’s presence in the South East Geopolitical zone, and particularly in Abia State will have a multiplier effect on the Nigeria’s creative industry. He announced the institutionalization of 5 – N10 million grant for any film production that is 100% shot in Abia State, just as the State government is set to develop tourism sites, and turn them into tourism destinations.
He reminded the NFC team of the role Abia State played in the revolution that brought about Nollywood especially the marketing and sales of video works on Pound Road, Aba.
The capacity of the film industry to create massive job employment, and the role and mandate of the NFC was instrumental to the approval and allocation of an office accommodation for the South East Zonal Office of the Corporation in Umuahia, by the Abia State government.
Ikpeazu, however, charged practitioners to improve on the quality of films being produced in Nigeria and expressed the commitment of the State Government to key into the training and capacity building programmes of the NFC.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe thanked and conveyed the appreciation of the Honourable Minister of Information & Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed to Governor Ikpeazu for approving the allocation of the office accommodation for the headquarters of the South East Zonal office of NFC. for approving the office accommodation for NFC, Abia State Government has taken a leap to holistically address youth unemployment through motion picture production training and capacity building. It took over 12years for the NFC to finally establish a zonal office in the South East geopolitical zone. Efforts are on to establish two more zonal offices of the Corporation in the North East and South South geopolitical zones respectively.
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