Actor Empowers 15,000 Youths In Film Production

A filmmaker, Oreofe Williams yesterday said his film ministry has taken over 15,000 idle youths away from the streets.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, Williams said he has gainfully engaged the youths by encouraging them to shoot films and do musical videos.

“For many years, that is what we have been doing to get to young people and take them off the streets and I can tell you over time, we have taken more than 15,000 Nigerian youths off the street and empowered them. We empowered them to shoot films and do musical videos.”

“Many young people want to be engaged and when you engage their minds, you give them scripts and teach them arts and crafts of stage designs, teach them how to make a set, light and the rest of them, they will become useful. It’s been interesting because l discovered through this that many of them want to learn and they only need a mentor or somebody to guide and help them in improving themselves.”

He, however, urged the government to equip studios of government owned Polytechnics and universities due to the current state of dearth of training facilities and equipment.

“Many polytechnic and university students come to us for further professional training after their graduation, and we also get invitations from institutions to train their students. Two of such institutions are Samuel Gboyega University and Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).”

“I introduce the first convocation film production in OOU. The then Vice Chancellor was involved and he was impressed, so also is the new VC who is a part of the project. We have also been to the Precious Cornerstone University, Chrisland University and others to teach their students filmmaking as we know it is the main thing about theatre arts and mass communication studies now.”