By Benjamin Njoku

The Nigerian Film Corporation, NFC, has urged the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa to endeavour to revisit some of the key policies that have the  capabilities of enhancing the creative sector to sustain it’s contribution to content creation, effective film distribution and exhibition, training and capacity building as well as  the establishment of the National Film Development Fund ,NFDF.

 The  Managing Director/Chief Executive of NFC, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, made this appeal while briefing the Honourable Minister for Arts, Culture and  Creative Economy Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa following the activities of the agency  recently  in Abuja.

The NFC also presented a catalogue of film challenges that have undermined  the development process and growth rate of the film industry,  including the obsolete NFC Act of 1979, which has never undergone any single amendment in the last 44 years, and other legal framework for the Motion Picture Practitioners Council ,MOPICON.

Maduekwe said that NFC alongside filmmakers and stakeholders were  committed to ensuring that the Ministers 2030 Destination Agenda was supported to succeed, because of its impactful focus and objectives.

According to him, the National Film Institute,NFI,Jos, has continued to provide training and capacity building for Nigeria in film and television production, including entrepreneurial skills acquisit ion for youths across the geopolitical zones of the country through its Mobile Audiovisual Training Platform, aside the Master Degree Programme in Film Culture & Archiving Studies.

The progress at the National Film Video and Sound Archive (NFVSA) recently designated the national repository for audio-visual heritage, was also brought into focus.

On the issue of  Zuma film festival, which was one of the major highlights of the briefs presented to the Honourable Minister, NFC boss  that for the film festival to truly reflect the creative ingenuity of Nigeria, the agency  had achieved a 10-year hosting partnership with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in 2021, through a Memorandum of Understanding which also designated Abuja as the official host city.

Maduekwe also  informed the Minister that it was trite for Abuja to be named the official host city for the film festival in line with best global practices.

 He cited the cities of Cannes, Toronto, Durban and several others as examples.

Earlier, the Honourable Minister commended the NFC for its various achievements in spite of its obsolete law. She acknowledged the critical role the film industry does, and can continue to play in growing the nation’s economy and assured that government was determined to ensure an effective and efficient film industry.