Entertainment
FG Releases N420m To Fund Nollywood
For many years, the Federal Government has been rightly accused of contributing very little to the growth of the indigenous movie industry popularly known as Nollywood. Finally the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration says it has released a film production fund of N420.2 million to the Nigerian film industry.
According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Patricia Deworitshe, on Friday in Abuja, the money which is the second payment to the industry will help 105 film distributors. The government has earlier introduced the “Project Act Nollywood” aimed at developing the movie industry to make value chain.
The intervention comes in form of a Film Production Fund (FPF) and Capacity Building Fund (CBF). The FPF and CBF have been fully implemented, while the IDF which is the third component of the project is ongoing. The IDF covers online, national, regional and community categories of Nollywood film distribution and exhibition.
The objectives of IDF are to improve the distribution network of Nigerian Audio Visual contents, cut down on piracy, create jobs and protect Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) within the Nigerian entertainment industry. N1.8 billion was approved for disbursement to 106 beneficiaries in this component and N1.335 billion was disbursed earlier in the year as first tranche to 105 beneficiaries.
Mrs Deworitshe said before the release of the second tranche, the finance ministry had carried out a successful monitoring and evaluation of the first tranche disbursement. Fifteen community cinemas and viewing centres have been established through the grant and this has improved the distribution net work of movies in Nigeria.
The programme has supported 18 films in strengthening online distribution platforms. This has helped curb illegal downloads and piracy. 256 permanent jobs and 544 temporary jobs have been created through the financial support provided to 105 beneficiaries by the programme.
Mrs Deworitshe further said, the programme had also aided the extension of the Nollywood industry to Sub saharan Africa through the funding of national distributors to expand their distribution capacity and network.
Through the programme, distributors had expanded their capacity to lip synching their content in French for onward distribution to the ECOWAS sub-region, she added.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted the early-career challenges she faced, revealing that she was once booed out of the stage while performing at a school event.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the Crazy Tings crooner shared that she wasn’t only booed but was also harassed with plastic bottles.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that despite the embarrassing incident and other such rejections, she remained determined to pursue a career in music.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Tems admitted that some of the initial rejections she faced could be due to her conviction to stick to her originality instead of doing covers or familiar sounds like most of her peers.
The Grammy-winning singer said looking back now, she is glad that she didn’t compromise her style despite the initial pressures.
A close associate of late singer Mohbad, Primeboy, has appealed for the artiste’s burial nearly three years after his death.
According to him, Mohbad’s body remains in the mortuary since September 12, 2023, pending burial arrangements.
The Tide Entertainment reports that in a statement Primeboy urged the family, public, and government to permit the burial, stating, “It’s been almost three years since Mohbad left us. His body is still in the mortuary. I’m begging the family, I’m begging the public, I’m begging the government, please let’s bury our brother. He deserves a befitting burial.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad’s death sparked public outrage, protests, and investigations. Ongoing autopsy examinations, police inquiries, and legal proceedings have delayed burial arrangements amid family disagreements and public scrutiny.