What are the main features of Nigerian production (economic, market for distribution etc.)?
The economics of Nigerian production are quite interesting, in the sense that the film industry has created a lot of jobs for young people, who form a large proportion of the population in Nigeria. It has become an avenue for leveraging talent. Invariably, this benefits the Nigerian economy by reducing unemployment among young people. Though most movie productions are made by few professionals, Nigerians tend to appreciate their work and buy the movies. Overall, the Nigerian economy has benefited from movie production, through the employment of young people and the value of the movie production market. Distribution-wise, Nigeria still faces a challenge because of the way its movies are circulated. Locally, movies are pirated by gangs of pirates who duplicate the works of producers and sell them to the audience in large quantities, without the producer’s knowledge. The National Censors Board of Nigeria is however striving to remedy the situation. We hope that piracy will have been reduced by the end of the year.

What kind of topics do Nigerian movies address?
Nigerian movies deal with a variety of themes including love, social and political issues through to traditional practices and religion. They mostly examine the situation in Nigeria, tending to address Nigerian challenges. Most of the traditional practices and religious elements featuring in Nigerian movies are about our cultural heritage, making them very typically Nigerian.

You have received support from French cooperation. Was it of benefit to you?
Yes, it was a great help in the production of my movie Changing Faces. The French cooperation operator granted me funds amounting to 20% of the movie budget, which was the first fund I received for the project. With this fund, I was able to lay the foundations for the movie. It also encouraged me to seek more funding to complete the movie. The French cooperation operator also funded the dubbing of Changing faces in French. This opened Changing faces up to French-speaking countries, thereby reaching out to a greater audience.