Popular Nollywood movie director, Kunle Afolayan, has said that the film industry needs support in the area of grants from government to help It grow.
Afolayan, who spoke during the week at the ongoing 2024 Zuma Film Festival organised by the Nigerian Film Corporation and the Federal Capital Territory Administration in Abuja, said that getting such bits of help from government would allow practitioners to focus on creating content.
He lamented that since the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, who introduced Project Nollywood Act, no government has looked in their way in terms of providing grants.
“I mentioned yesterday that the last time a grant was given by the Federal Government was during Goodluck Jonathan’s period through Project Nollywood Act. And a lot of people benefited from that, some used it to do what they promised to do.
“But some people, of course, probably used it to marry more wives, buy cars, and all of that.
“But again, we need this kind of gesture, we are filmmakers, we are actually supposed to sit back and just create.
“But because there were gaps and holes and you know, lapses in the industry, some of us have taken it upon ourselves to do more beyond just creating,” Afolayan said.
He mentioned his multi-billion naira project – KAP Film Village and Reaort in Igbojaiye, Oyo State as one of his investments.
However, he lamented that for three years, he has had to power the facility, in addition to filming activities there through generators which he said is not sustainable.
He therefore called on the Federal government to come to his aid.
“For three years, we’ve been running on a generator, and it is not sustainable and that is why we can’t even open fully.
“I would like to plead to the federal government. All we are asking for are incentives or some kind of support towards alternative green energy or solar or whatever that can help us run and it’s going to be of benefit to everyone,” he said.
He also called on his colleagues to come together to find a way to create their own distribution platforms at a time that global streaming platforms are cutting down on their investments and funding in Nigeria.
“On a last note, we need to create our own distribution platform. I’m very glad and happy with what people are doing on YouTube. As a matter of fact, most of the actors and talents are being forced to become their own distributors.
“So, everybody is now creating like YouTube channels but what if tomorrow YouTube comes and brings some policies that will affect our projection and all of that like Netflix?” Afolayan added.
