The Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr Shaibu Husseini, has underscored the importance of capacity building in developing a robust entertainment industry.
Speaking at the Trino Motion Pictures and the Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS), where 12 talented persons were unveiled for the maiden edition of the International Sales and Distribution Executives (ISDE) programme, the NFVCB boss enlightened the creatives on the application procedure to procure the Federal Government’s Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF), which would only warrant a creative’s intellectual property (IP) as collateral.
While encouraging stakeholders to apply for the fund, which would aid their operations in the industry, Husseini said, “We need to build values, and publicity for films. We must thank Ijeoma; she is one person who doesn’t want to do it alone, and that is the mistake of pioneers of our film industry. They all want to be the star.”
“I asked somebody about five years ago the best sound specialist in Nigeria and Femi Aloba was mentioned who died 15 years ago. That means we didn’t build capacity in those areas. So, I was excited when I saw this. We need to build capacity toward the people who can move the industry to the right prospect. People are waiting for our content but we need more people who can speak the right language like Ijeoma,” he added.
According to Programme Director for ISDE programme, Godwin Nzekwe, the initiative is part of the robust strategy for more proficient film industry aimed at addressing the critical gap in the entertainment sector and equips professionals with expertise in international sales, aggregation, licensing, and distribution.
He stated that the programme addresses a pressing need in the creative industry, where talented individuals produce high-quality content but often lack the knowledge and skills to effectively market and monetise their work globally.
“This marks the beginning of a bold and timely vision to prepare, equip, and position African creatives for the global stage through international storytelling, business strategy, and meaningful industry collaboration,” Nzekwe said.
The 12 unveiled persons at the inauguration held in Park View Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos include, Adetayo Adebowale, Dr Sherif Adekunle, Nneamaka Nwadei, Ehinomen Azeta, Uneke Ekene, Faustina Okomayin, Lucy Adikwu, Mercy Akumute, Olatubosun Olasimbo, Precious lroagalachi, Daleshawn Butler and Temitope Sanniwho.
Speaking during the inauguration and induction ceremony, Managing Director, Trino Motion Pictures, Uche Okocha, said the training programme was conceived after the company’s two-year experience attempting to handle sales and distribution roles.
He stated that a significant gap was encountered, which was a lack of structured pipelines for professionals and inadequate training facilities, adding that this realisation prompted the development of the programme.
Okocha underscored the importance of identifying potential, building capacity and creating opportunities to build a sustainable film industry. He stated that the training that would feature both virtual and physical classes would run for six months.
“This will be for six months and will feature international executives as resource persons who have been in the sales and distribution space for at least over 15 years. We are going to try and have a mix of the French territories, the UK, and Nigeria.
“The real goal is to train the next generation of professionals that can sell our content to a global audience, which is very important because we found that there are no training platforms for such,” he said.
“We hope to have this as a yearly programme going forward and maybe expand it to 24 participants so that we can keep supporting the industry and the personnel that we require in that space of sales and distribution to keep growing. They will have the opportunity to visit local film markets, local festivals, and international festivals in the course of the training,” he added.
On her part, Founder, Nigerian Film International Summit (NIFS), Ijeoma Onah, harped on the need to create a balance between the business side of film and the creative side. She stated that upon the completion of the programme, the participants would go on an internship programme with international organisations.
“People need to understand that film is a product, and if the right knowledge is in place, then we can begin to see sustainable businesses birthed,” she said.
Counselling the inductees, Onah adds: “I want you to understand that it is time to step out and build your network. You need to elevate your career. A lot has been invested in this programme; we demand a lot of concentration and focus from you.”