Leapfrog distribution with digital technology, Uwaje tells Nollywood stakeholders’
The leadership of Nollywood Mandate Group (NMG), has presented the 2019 Nollywood Economic Outlook in Lagos, with an appeal to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to assist entertainment industry and practitioners to boost local digital content.
However, the plea according to experts can only be effective and workable on the real and cheap availability of bundled broadband internet services to boost wealth creation and contributions to GDP by the sector.
This was captured by the chairman of the occasion who is former President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) and current Director General of Delta technology Hub, Dr. Chris Uwaje.
He agreed that whereas Nollywood has done well for itself over the years, it needs now to step up innovations in both content development and adaption of trending digital technology to beat the challenge of product distribution.
Uwaje averred that Nollywood is still leading the way for Nigerian entertainment sector, saying “The availability of bundled broadband service would indeed go a long way to boost access and improve the distribution and consumption of digital entertainment”.
According to him, “While the entertainment industry has all it takes to play a critical role in the economy, the practitioners and relevant industry bodies must work conscientiously to sell their viewpoint to government.
He made it clear that part of the pressure to mount on the government will be to resolve all issues delaying the delivery of last mile fibre optic cables by Infrastructure Companies (Infracos) across the zones which are chiefly Right of Way (RoW) and cost per linear meter.
He explained that only real and cheap access to broadband will situate the digital revolution in the entertainment industry,
Corroborating Uwaje’s views, ageless Nollywood producer, Zeb Ejiro, called on the NCC to work out an interface with the movie industry to explore how bundled broadband can be made available to practitioners.
He urged government to establish a special product for the movie sector just like it has for Agriculture, decrying that upon all the comments of support by government on enabling environment, “very little has been done to actualise it for the industry to occupy its rightful place in the GDP of Nigeria”.
According to him, “political will is required to push the entertainment industry to the desired level in the nation’s GDP”.
In his remarks, the chief executive officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, represented by the NCC Lagos Zonal Controller, Henry Ojiokpota, declared that the commission is ready to work with Nollywood to explore options for mutually beneficial activities to grow the local content and productivity in general.
Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dr. Ali Pantami, represented by Chioma Okee-Aguguo, said the agency will rely on the exploits of the Office of Nigerian Content (ONC), to promote and boost local content through creating the enabling environment to encourage creativity and local content production.
