News Release. June 16, 2013

NOLLYWOOD: N3 BILLION PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION
KICKS OFF WITH N300M CAPACITY BUILDING FUND

*Applications open in July

Action on the N3 billion support promised the Nigerian film industry by President Goodluck Jonathan has formally commenced with the roll out of a N300 million capacity building fund.

The presidential intervention, called Project ACT Nollywood, is managed by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister of Tourism, Chief Edem Duke.

The capacity building fund is the first of a series of initiatives planned under Project Act Nollywood. It is made up of two components.

The first is a Training Fund of N150 million dedicated to training and skills acquisition for Nollywood Practitioners in all competencies along the entire value chain of Nigeria’s movie industry.

These include Scriptwriting, Directing, Production and Production Design, Special Effects, Lighting, Sound, HD Techniques, Acting, Cinematography, Make-Up, Editing, etc.

The second component is the Capacity Development Fund which is also worth N150 million. It will give grants to existing Nigerian-owned private institutes that offer training courses, programs, and technical certification in the movie industry.

Additionally, the Capacity Development Fund may be used to upgrade existing facilities, procure equipment and develop internal capacity to offer a set of courses/training programs, which address key skills gap.

To benefit from the Capacity Development Fund, interested institutes must prove to registered from before 1st January 2013 and be competent enough to train according to global best practices (including for organizations partnering with training programs from reputable international film institutions) on a sustainable basis.
Speaking on the development, the Coordinating Minister said that the establishment of the fund underscores government’s commitment to supporting Nollywood in recognition of the film industry’s contributions to the economy and projecting the country.

“This is the first of the initiatives planned under Project Act Nollywood. And it shows that the President is keeping his word to the industry and to Nigerians. Nollywood deserves this support because it has added value to the economy by creating jobs and acting as an ambassador to the country, projecting Nigeria to many parts of the world that hitherto knew little or nothing about the country.”

She stressed that Project Act Nollywood is not for sharing to practitioners but that the overall objective is to support the industry in a sustainable way that practitioners can leverage on to improve their capacity and output in key areas.

The Fund is open for applications from July 2013 to December 2013. Courses commencing after 31st December are eligible provided the application is received before 31st December 2013.

The guidelines for the applicants to the capacity fund include:
• Applicants must be Nigerian
• be an industry practitioner

The guidelines also indicate that membership of an industry Association or Guild is encouraged but is not a pre-requisite to meet application requirements.

Paul C Nwabuikwu
Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance

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This is great. Nollywood must grow in leaps and bounds. Fresh Air!!!

Goddex: This is great. Nollywood must grow in leaps and bounds. Fresh Air!!!

You can say that again.

Am i the only one that thinks government involvement in this either in training or dolling out cash handouts would probably crash the boom currently witnessed in Nollywood. Any thing govt sucks in the country. They better come to a round table and iron out FG boundaries so that they won't overstep it if not politicizing Nollywood is very imminent

This should be on the frontpage. I know people who needed this info

Nice move by team GEJ. Nollywood must get to the 'promised land'.

Oildichotomy^:
Am i the only one that thinks government involvement in this either in training or dolling out cash handouts would probably crash the boom currently witnessed in Nollywood. Any thing govt sucks in the country. They better come to a round table and iron out FG boundaries so that they won't overstep it if not politicizing Nollywood is very imminent

i'm with u dude!

Shouldn't the govt jes make the full use of TINAPA instead of wasting another round of cash here?

The act of using politics to gain favour will alwys kill us!

In order to gain the supports of the industry, he neglected and wasted. Now, i can tell u, in the more desperate attempt garther more favour, he is going to give these cash out as contracts to some selected influential few from the industry. Those who are sure their words wld influence the rest!

And in the end, we av a programme that is dead on resumption because of the motive now, won't last, and inferior structures and equipment not better than what were on ground. All as a result of corruption and the wrong motive right from inception!

This is a talent development and job creation program from the government. No matter what you think, this program will be highly beneficial to numerous youths around the country who are looking for a breakthrough in the entertainment industry.
Anyone who is against the program will be doing so mainly because he's not a beneficiary or not close to a beneficiary or just plain pessimistic.
We should learn to complement and support Government's effort towards curbing unemployment in this nation of ours.

chei: This is a talent development and job creation program from the government. No matter what you think, this program will be highly beneficial to numerous youths around the country who are looking for a breakthrough in the entertainment industry.
Anyone who is against the program will be doing so mainly because he's not a beneficiary or not close to a beneficiary or just plain pessimistic.
We should learn to complement and support Government's effort towards curbing unemployment in this nation of ours.

They'll rather wish the money was embezzled and thrown away at lavish parties.

not bad.

nice development

vizboy: nice development

sylve11: not bad.

Avatar alone cost $280M just though I shloud highlight that

Well done o o

goldfish80:
Avatar alone cost $280M just though I shloud highlight that

and it was sponsored by d American government?black man...

Nice development, but I still believe that piracy is the single biggest problem facing the creative industries as a whole. I want to see concerted efforts to tackle piracy. Strengthening the anti-piracy institutions, embarking on massive public awareness campaigns, enacting and enforcing punitive measures on those involved.

Good step though. I hope the intended recipients are able to benefit from this.

Impressive development but then, how abt the piracy which is the main killer of the industry? I still stand to believe that some major movie producers can singlehandedly fund some of these projects mentioned by govt only if the piracy is not there to eat thier sweat. Government shld focus more on the fight against piracy and see the industry booming impressively. No point wasting money while at the end, piracy scares away potential investors.

I think what they really need to do is establish a bank that deals majorly with giving loans to film/music projects. People have great scripts already, make funds accessible to people in making good films that could be viewed in cinema's around the world, professioners would be hired and students would get the opportunity to do first hand IT from xperts.

Is Kannywood of kano among the beneficiaries?

Hmmm....is this not the same as FG giving me money to repair my taxi and train my drivers? FG money is taxpayers money and should never be used to directly benefit private business unless it's a loan. If they want to help then allow them to import equipment duty free and clamp down on piracy. Which government ever put money into the film industry?

mars123: and it was sponsored by d American government?black man...

N3Billion as big as it looks, is a drop in the ocean to exxpexct a leap in casting/scriptwriting/directing/production etc for nollywood

Money miss road. . .
Children are learning under trees and there is unemployment in legendary proportion all over the land, yet the FG puts billions into Nollywood! What sensitive government does that? Why not revive some dead industries with the money and take some jobless youths off the devil's ghastly workshop?

Government needs to build cinemas across the 36 states in Nigeria. That's the only thing that will help the industry. Any other thing is just a white Elephant project.

Nollywood is already producing quality flicks....but making their money back is still a major issue due to availability of few cinemas in the country.

Lagos-badagry express way also needs presidential intervention

interesting

Upon all the money na rubbish dem still dey act! Like my post if you hate nollywood.

#teamHOLLYWOOD Rocks!!

The wise will take advantage of this and upgrade.

If the government would purchase hi tech equipment, cameras and sell at subsidized rate then it makes sense but if it's the usual Ghana must go? Then it's just a waste

What happened 2 d previous 1 he promised them b4 2011 elaction? Election don dey near again oga wan start another scheming.with this kind of president we have a really long way 2 go.

Eze Promoe: I say this always and i don't mind repeating myself.
Jonathan's reign is the best thing that ever happened to Nigeria since history.


Fresh Air till 2019!

bros, e no reach make we fight. u fit allow jonathan rule ur fada's house by 2015 reach eternity. but as u wan become uncle jona's speaker wey wan impose am by force on our heads, fight go en ruse. so, bros, carry d mumu go show ur people make u make am ur family of village head. no lele

justsayemma: What happened 2 d previous 1 he promised them b4 2011 elaction? Election don dey near again oga wan start another scheming.with this kind of president we have a really long way 2 go.

WHY IS IT THAT EVERY GOOD INITIATIVE MADE BY THE PRESIDENT IS TREADED UNDERFOOT BY SOME VERY SHYLOCK, CALLOUS AND DOOMED PERSONS LIKE YOU. FOR YOUR INFORMATION WHETHER GEJ CONTINUES OR NOT AS PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA AFTER 2015 70% OF LITERATE AND INFORMED NIGERIANS STILL THUMBS UP FOR HIM.