President and Chief Creative Officer of Fedmas Studios, Dr. Sam Idiagbonya, has called for greater collaboration among filmmakers and other industry stakeholders to address the challenges hindering the growth of the film industry in Abuja.

Idiagbonya said strategic partnerships, constructive criticism and joint production models would help filmmakers overcome the high cost of equipment, inadequate training facilities and infrastructural deficits affecting movie production in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He made the call during an interactive session on the operational challenges and economic prospects of Nollywood in Abuja.

The filmmaker, who is also a medical doctor, noted that although Abuja offers several advantages for film production, the high cost of equipment and the fragmented nature of creative efforts continue to limit the industry’s potential.

He stressed that the era of individualistic filmmaking was gradually giving way to collaborative approaches, adding that teamwork and constructive criticism were essential to improving production quality.

“The future of creativity is collaboration. You cannot do this alone. I could write a script for a month, and my team could spend weeks criticising it.
“That criticism is necessary. If somebody has a better idea, you should be able to listen,” he said.

Idiagbonya explained that filmmakers needed an enabling environment that encouraged experimentation, innovation and technical development, alongside shared access to modern production equipment.

According to him, the cost of acquiring filming equipment remains a major challenge, while inadequate training opportunities and limited prospects for recovering investments continue to discourage filmmakers from investing in the sector.

“Creatives need the freedom to experiment, fail, criticise, and try again. Then there are infrastructural deficits. Equipment is expensive, training remains a challenge, and filmmakers need more opportunities to justify investments in equipment,” he stated.

Despite these challenges, the Fedmas Studios chief described Abuja as a location with significant potential to emerge as a major film production hub if its existing advantages were properly harnessed.

He identified relatively stable electricity in many areas, a serene environment, hotel facilities, accessibility and ease of movement as some of the benefits the FCT offers filmmakers.

“Abuja is a plus. We have relatively stable electricity in many areas, a serene environment, good hotels, accessibility, and relatively easy movement. The problem is that we don’t always take advantage of these advantages,” he added.

Idiagbonya urged emerging filmmakers in Abuja and the wider northern region to invest in skills acquisition, continuous professional development and partnerships across creative disciplines.

He said such efforts would help improve production standards, strengthen the industry’s economic viability and position locally produced films for wider markets.

The filmmaker maintained that with effective collaboration, improved technical capacity and better utilisation of available resources, Abuja could translate its creative potential into a sustainable film industry capable of contributing to the country’s creative economy.