By Yinka Akanbi
Moses Babatope, Co-founder and former Managing Director of Filmhouse Group, has called for the need for professionalisation, increased funding, specialised services, and collaborative efforts for Nollywood to attain its full potential.
Babatope, while addressing some of the industry’s pressing issues, highlighted inadequate training and free entry into the industry by alomst anybody as one of the major problems the industry is faced with.
“We’ve had people just waking up and just saying that they are an actor or they are a producer, with no training whatsoever. It’s hard to knock them because there are people that have demonstrated they can also wake up one day and do it well.
“Unfortunately because we have those exceptions, it has now become the norm that anybody can just wake up from anywhere and say ‘I’m creative. I’m doing it.’ There are no real rudiments to go through. No real process. No certifications to say, ‘I’m a professional actor. I’m a professional actress. I’m certified in producing and directing,” he told Pulse Nigeria in a recent interview.
The film executive also advocated the need for funding to propel cinema development and fight piracy, a significant issue plaguing the industry.
“Nollywood needs funding in several areas like in cinemas. That’s something that should be taken very seriously because that is the outlet for monetization.
“We just don’t have enough funding or support to build the cinemas and build them fast enough,” he said.
Babatope believes additional film marketing businesses is a way to improve advertising, adding that tech players and companies are needed in addressing challenges like lack of production insurance.
“There’s no industry without challenges, if we continue to run the industry in the independent fractured way, then the problems will get more,” he added.
