Nigerian filmmaker and entrepreneur, Pascal Atuma, has urged the Federal Government to give the entertainment industry the same level of attention and investment it accords to the oil sector.
The filmmaker believes that the creative space has become a major global economic force and wants the Nigerian government to tap into it.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise on Saturday, Atuma said the government must look beyond oil as a sole revenue source and recognise the potential of Nigeria’s creative economy.
“I’d say this directly to the government – they think oil is the only source of income. The entertainment industry is huge. The film industry is big.
“Look at music, comedy… they should look at the creative industry in its entirety and invest, including football,” he said on the breakfast show.
Atuma’s comment comes at a time when segments of the entertainment industry—such as music, skit-making, comedy, and filmmaking—are gaining increased international recognition and reach.
The director, who won Best Male Actor at the 2012 and 2015 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards (GIAMA), cited the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the United States to highlight the economic potential of entertainment.
He said, “Just for playing in the quarter-finals, clubs earned $13.1 million. If you give a Nigerian club that kind of money—converted to naira—is that a joke? There is money in the creative industry, but the government has to make it easy for us.”
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Govt Policies Matter
According to the director, government policies are critical to making this happen. Atuma urged the Nigerian government to enact policies that would make the industry more attractive.
“It’s not just about funding. Policies matter. In the US, some states are union and some are non-union.
“When our directors’ guilds and producers’ associations come together and structure the industry properly, Nigeria can become a ‘union state’ in film production.
“That will attract co-production treaties, which are only possible through government-to-government agreements,” the award-winning filmmaker said.
He, however, challenged filmmakers to also take responsibility by building proper structures within the industry.
“It starts with us, the filmmakers. The structure is beginning to come together, and once it’s solid, we can then approach the government to do what others are doing.
“In Canada, for example, there are yearly grants—not loans—for qualified filmmakers to produce films,” the director said.
Imported Wives
Atuma recently released a movie, Imported Wives, which premiered in May. It tells the story of a man who brings a wife from Nigeria to Canada, only for her to turn against him after being influenced by other Nigerian women there.
It stars Nollywood A-listers Nancy Isime, Omoni Oboli, Joseph Benjamin, and Funky Mallam.
Speaking on his new movie, the director explained that it was inspired by recurring social issues first tackled in his earlier film, American Nurse, produced over 20 years ago.
“After the UK police issued a memo asking Nigerian women to stop calling them to intervene in domestic issues—it went viral—I had a conversation with my brother.
“We agreed it was time to revisit the story, but with a new perspective. So we created Imported Wives, a film that mirrors societal issues not only affecting Africans but also Chinese, Indians, and Caribbeans,” the filmmaker said.
The award-winning 2013 Lifetime Movie Achievement Film Award (LANFA) added that the film seeks to correct harmful societal norms and said, “We now have 16-year-old girls who can buy cars and houses for their parents, and it’s normal.
“Meanwhile, love is being thrown out for financial liberation. Some people marry for poverty alleviation or migration. We want to hold up a mirror to society with this story.”
