Iconic Kwara sugar factory film studio to host best of Nollyood award

Kwara state has been awarded the hosting rights for the 16th edition of the Best of Nollywood Awards (BON). The 15th edition was hosted by Osun State in 2023. All roads will lead to Ilorin this November, as Kwara State government has accepted to play host to the event. The state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasak, announced that the event would hold at the iconic Sugar Factory Film Studio. He highlighted that the studio was designed to elevate the Nigerian creative industry with state-of-the-art post-production capabilities.

“We are honored to be given the hosting rights for this year’s event, the Best of Nollywood Awards. As you can see, Kwara is ready to dominate the film industry. The goal of the Sugar Factory Film Studio is to take film production in Nigeria to another level,” he said. The governor emphasised the need for Nigerian films to move beyond videos to higher levels of cinematography to gain global recognition and awards. Governor Abdulrazaq said that hosting the BON Awards would further promote the Sugar Factory Film Studio to the movie industry, with its leading figures expected at the event later this year. “This is stage one of this facility. We intend to proceed to stages two and three, but we want stage one to be put into use first.

So, marketing this studio to the film industry is part of hosting this event, and we will be glad to welcome at least 500 top film producers and active members of the film industry that day,” the Governor said. He also highlighted that the state is focused on building a strong service and hospitality economy in phases to attract quality human traffic.

He noted that facilities like the Film Factory, Visual Arts Centre, International Conference Centre, and the Kwara Hotel are part of this strategic plan. Olugbenga Titiloye, Managing Director of Sugar Factory Film Studio, commended the Governor for his substantial investments in the facility and other projects, which he said would generate employment and revenue for the state. He added that Kwara was chosen to host the next event due to its peaceful atmosphere and the administration’s exceptional investments in the creative industry. He emphasized that the Best of Nollywood Awards has always been a significant event, and that nearly 500 top film producers are expected to attend the next edition in Kwara. Founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board for BON, Mr. Seun Oloketuyi, thanked the governor for accepting to host the awards, which was founded in 2009 to honour outstanding achievement in the Nigeria movie industry.