The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has partnered with pan-African financial institution Afrexim Bank to foster economic growth and development across the audiovisual sector.
Ali Nuhu
According to the duo, the partnership aims to explore innovative financing solutions that can significantly bolster the Nigerian film industry, opening new avenues for funding and support. It seeks to enhance the ability to produce world-class content and elevate Nigeria’s cultural footprint on the global stage.
Ali Nuhu, MD and CEO at the NFC, said: “By leveraging the expertise and resources of Afrexim Bank, NFC is poised in driving the sustainable growth of a vibrant, thriving film industry in Nigeria. This partnership marks a significant step forward in our mission to nurture talent, promote cultural exchange, and contribute to the economic prosperity of our nation.
“NFC is committed to, and remains excited about, the opportunities ahead and looks forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has announced plans to train aspiring filmmakers throughout the year to April 2019.
Dr Chidia Maduekwe
NFC MD Dr Chidia Maduekwe revealed the news at the closing ceremony of the film training workshop held at the National Film Institute in Jos.
Maduekwe said the training would give film entrepreneurs skills in TV and film production, with the NFC hoping to attract more youth to the sector and provide job opportunities in the industry.
“We wish to assure all Nigerians, especially practitioners, that NFC will expand the scope and spread of its training programmes,” Maduekwe added. “We have designated our zonal offices as centres of training and capacity-building for film and its allied sectors.”
TV trade event organiser Discop has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) to launch an industry summit in Abuja in December 2019.
Chidia Maduekwe
The MoU was signed by Chidia Maduekwe, MD of the NFC, and Discop Markets CEO Patrick Zuchowicki at the Discop event that took place last week in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The new event, titled the Discop Business Summit Nigeria 2019, will take place during the annual NFC-backed Zuma Film Festival in Abuja.
According to the two parties, the partnership is evidence of the global TV industry’s belief in Nigeria, which is Africa’s fastest-growing creative economy.
The event will include a number of players from Nigeria’s banking sector so they can be part of the processes that propels the creative industries forward. These sectors are not limited to production, finance, banks or financial institutions but to other industries, with the focus being on finance and economic relevance of the content and creative industries.
This partnership is intended to aid the growth of the Nigerian economy as well as its film, TV and digital content industries, as identified by the NFC.
Maduekwe said: “The importance of this partnership cannot be lost on the present administration’s focus on diversification of Nigeria’s economy away from fossil dependency towards the creative economy.
Patrick Zuchowicki
“The collaboration of Discop and NFC is a welcome development that marks an important milestone in the policy direction of the Industrial Advisory Council on Technology & Creativity under the chairmanship of His Excellency, the Vice President of Nigeria.”
“It should be recalled that His Excellency led Nigeria’s creativity team in a visit to California earlier in the year. The continuous development of quality productions in the Nigerian motion picture industry will be given fresh impetus following this signed MoU between NFC and Discop.”
Zuchowicki added: “It is time for the banks, financial institutions and investment funds to take the pulse of the opportunities available in the African entertainment and media marketplace.”
He added that the new summit would “help lenders understand how important a role they can play in the development of the world’s fastest-growing marketplace for film, television, digital and musical content.”
Discop Business Summit Nigeria adds to France-based Discop’s network of events in countries including Egypt, South Africa, Zanzibar and Ivory Coast.
