By Osa Amadi

For the past seven years, AFRIFF has continually created a rendezvous for film-makers from Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world, not only to exhibit excellent movies but to engage in creative conversations to improve the profession and set a new agenda for the motion picture bloc. Those were the words of the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the 7th African International Film Festival in Lagos recently.

“Standing here and gazing at this great gathering, I can feel the confluence of passion and creativity and the promises and possibilities that the future holds for the global movie industry,” the minister continued.

Lai Mohammed

According to Lai, the movie industry, as exits in Africa today, was inspired by Nigeria’s own Nollywood. The Federal Government of Nigeria, he revealed, is very proud of Nollywood and is constantly engaging the stakeholders towards growing the industry.

Among the things government is doing for the film industry, according to the minister, are pushing for a single-digit interest on loans for infrastructural developments for the Industry; support for building of 100 community cinemas to be evenly spread across the country; close to having world-class pre- and post-production facility using the current NTA infrastructure with a few additions; ensuring that in the focus on studio facilities, ensuring that one studio facility is located in every geo-political zone of the country, etc.

He also added that as AFRIFF celebrates and helps to develop the creativity and professionalism of the sector, that government will ensure that it will be an industry that can deliver a profitable return on investment for all the players.