Nollywood holds inaugural meeting

THE 13-member Advisory Committee on the film industry constituted last month by the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) held its inaugural meeting on September 16 and 17 in Jos, Plateau State.
The committee is saddled with the task of interfacing regularly with public corporations involved in film and related issues and practitioners to move Nollywood forward.
The body comprises eminent film professionals including Brendan Shehu, Tunde Oyelede, Mahmood Ali Bologun, Pete Edochie, Victor Okhai, Osita Okeke (Ossy Affason), Chuwang R. Pam, Yakubu Jang and Sani Muazu. The others are Lantana Ahmed, Hanatu Dantong, Ahmed Belli and Gideon Barde.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Managing Director of the NFC, Danjuma Dadu, said the body had become imperative because of the need for the NFC and stakeholders to collaborate more for the development of the film industry.
He added that the NFC saw the wisdom in having an advisory body following the consultations he had with filmmakers and other players in the film industry shortly after he assumed office.
“A fallout of that exercise revealed that there was a need to set up a body that will aggregate and articulate issues that the consultations threw up,” Dadu said, noting that the issues include funding, industry support services, training, distribution, film villages, and the proposed Motion Picture Practitioners Council amongst others.
 He thanked members of the committee for agreeing to serve and assured them of the full support of the NFC.
Responding, chair of the committee and pioneer chief executive of the NFC, Shehu, commended the initiative and promised that members will work selflessly to fast track the development of the film Industry.