Why Jonathan’s N3 billion Nollywood fund flopped — Emeka Ike

In March 2013, former President Goodluck Jonathan launched a N3 billion initiative referred to as “Challenge Nollywood” to revitalise Nigeria’s movie trade.

At the moment, Nollywood was experiencing progress in manufacturing and gross sales however continued to face criticism for its low-quality content material.

‘Challenge Nollywood’ aimed to offer grants for movie scripts, help capability improvement, and enhance trade infrastructure. It sought to handle Nollywood’s challenges and foster progress. Nonetheless, many filmmakers reported difficulties accessing the funds, claiming they have been disproportionately allotted to a choose few.

A earlier revolving mortgage scheme of $200 million (N32 billion), introduced by the president in 2010, was additionally suffering from related complaints revolving round inaccessibility.

Veteran Nollywood actor Emeka Ike lately voiced his considerations about managing funds allotted for the Nigerian movie trade in an unique interview with PREMIUM TIMES. He particularly referenced the N3 billion fund introduced throughout former President Jonathan’s administration.

Emeka criticised the dearth of constructions and unity within the trade, which he believes contributed to the poor distribution of the fund, calling for extra strong governance to stop related points sooner or later.

Accountable constructions

Addressing this, Emeka emphasised that extra important, formal constructions within the trade might forestall such occurrences.

“When the fund was launched, individuals weren’t united, and no bylaws have been in place. Consequently, the cash ended up within the fingers of some, who used it to purchase automobiles, construct properties in Lekki, and drive their Vary Rovers. That’s not the aim of the fund,” Emeka said.

He defined how the dearth of accountability affected the fund’s distribution. He argued that had the federal government engaged with trade associations just like the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) or the Theatre Arts Practitioners Affiliation of Nigeria (TAMPAN), there might have been higher oversight of how the funds have been allotted.

“Transferring ahead, I’d advise that if we’ve constructions like AGN, NANTAP, ANTP, and AMP, the federal government ought to contemplate releasing such funds after establishing a relationship with the our bodies representing us.

“Coping with people like me or Uncle Bimbo Manuel alone isn’t sufficient. It ought to run via the trade with a template representing all of Nollywood,” Ike continued.

Hiatus

In the identical interview, Emeka touched on his return to the large display screen after a break, explaining that technological adjustments in movie distribution, notably the disappearance of DVDs, affected many established actors.

“Many people who weren’t a part of the cinema clique have been sidelined as a consequence of varied biases. However producers ought to know their goal market. Many new actors don’t even attain the inside distribution channels, and their faces should not remembered as extensively,” Emeka remarked, citing how some legendary actors like John Okafor and Genevieve Nnaji stay family names.

He additionally inspired youthful actors to embrace their individuality and work exhausting, saying, “They need to attempt to embody their roles quite than imitating others. And they need to attend auditions, community, and enhance their abilities.”

Trying to the Future

Although Emeka has lowered his onscreen appearances, he revealed plans to help Nollywood from behind the scenes.

He owns Nollywood TV on StarTimes and is engaged on launching a video-on-demand channel.

“Count on massive issues quickly. We are going to make our films and proceed to help the trade from the rear,” he concluded, providing a hopeful glimpse into his upcoming initiatives.

As Nollywood continues to evolve, veterans like Emeka stay dedicated to the trade’s progress. Nonetheless, with requires stronger constructions to handle future funds, it’s clear that monetary transparency and accountability can be important to realising the total potential of the Nigerian movie sector.