Your contribution to the entertainment industry has been popularly commended especially with your recent elevation to the position of Mayor, Actors Guild of the Federal Capital Territory. How would you add value to the industry through your new portfolio?
I believe that human capital investment is the key to the development of the Nigerian entertainment industry. If we invest in human capital, the beneficiaries will add value to the industry. So, my administration as the Mayor of Actor’s Guild, FCT, would focus on human capital investment among other things.
We shall have very eventful and impactful programs that will help build the members physically, mentally, psychologically and even financially.
How would you describe public response to funding needs of the industry especially to shoot movies that are expensive?
To be honest, it’s not encouraging. Nigerians has little or no knowledge of how to make money through investing in movies. An average Nigerian will tell you ‘I can’t invest my money in a business I don’t understand,’ and most of them do not understand how Bitcoin works, yet they invest in it. I wish they know that film business is like oil money if properly invested in, and given proper distribution of films.
You will agree with me that the average Nigerian would easily criticize Nollywood and compare it with Hollywood, forgetting that an average American would invest in movies if given the opportunity. Let me tell you this: A Hollywood movie can have as much as ten or more executive producers (investors) while a Nollywood movie will struggle to get one and will still give you something worth watching with the little funding it gets.
Only very few individuals have keyed into movie funding, God bless them.
Do you mentor the younger generation of actors? Who are they and what attracts you to them?
I’ve got some young individuals who have walked to me to ask to be mentored. Some of them are in the guild while some aren’t. Their zeal to act, their passion for the industry is what attracted me to them.
What is your plan for the younger generation of Nigerian actors?
We are in an industry where everyone struggles to make it on their own without proper guidance. As the mayor of Actors’ Guild FCT, and FCT being the headquarter of the guild where the president of the guild also operates from, I would ensure to give proper guidance to young individuals in the guild to prepare them mentally and physically for the industry.
How does the guild intend to collaborate with Drama/Theater Arts departments in universities and other relevant tertiary academic institutions across the country?
The guild doesn’t have to go looking for ways to collaborate with higher institutions, however, we are very open to collaborate with higher institutions who would reach out to us. We are very accessible and would love to work with any of them if called upon.
What would you say is the biggest problem of the Guild in Nigeria and how can it be addressed?
The biggest problem is funding as I’ve earlier mentioned. If both private and government organizations can believe in the industry and invest massively in it, then the guild can be properly restructured in a way that actors keep getting royalties in movies even after being paid for the movies. Imagine an actor getting royalties for movies they featured in for over 10 years, you won’t see any actor broke or coming to seek for public funds to cater for their health.
On talent hunt, what is your plan?
There are talents everywhere, trust me you don’t need to hunt for it. As a movie producer, I have seen a lot of talents at auditions, I mean raw talents. We have featured some of these talents in some movies I produced, without even knowing them before the auditions. My advice is if you know you’ve got the talent, keep your ears down for auditions.
Do you think the country has been fair to veteran actors who stepped up the image of the entertainment industry in Nigeria?
Absolutely no!
We’ve got lot’s of sick actors who are in need of financial support. There is Zack Orji, there is also Amaechi Muonagor among others. Instead of assisting, they’ll look for reasons to drag the industry or other actors they feel should help them. These are people who have entertained you for so many years, these are people who made you smile, these are people that gave you great childhood memories and laughter, they made childhood worthwhile through the roles they played as entertainers.
Please we need to do better as a country, and I’ll love to use this medium to appeal to Nigerians to send help to some of these actors especially Zack Orji who urgently needs immediately financial support.
Thank you.
