How Insecurity Is Hampering Growth Of Film Industry In Northern Nigeria

Stakeholders in the movie industry in Northern Nigeria have spoken on the impediments to the growth of film industry. Founder of the Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF), Audu Israel Kashim stated that the movie industry in Kaduna and other northern states should have grown beyond this level but insecurity caused by the continual killings of residents in their towns and villages, feud between cattle rearers and hosts across the states have largely affected the operations of movie makers and also investors who want to invest in the industry seen as a gold mine in Africa.

Kashim who hosts tourists and filmmakers annually in Kaduna via the fast growing film festival, stated that the movie industry in the north should have experienced an exponential growth by now because of interests of investors who come to Kaduna for the festival and shown investment interest but the uncertainty of return of investments rears its ugly head at them.

“Movie making and the film industry in the north is getting better but should have developed beyond this level as we still have limited standard cinemas in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and other cities. In fact, it has dwindled and investors are wary about building more cinemas in the north because of insecurity.

We have to spend more money shooting during the days and nights, and also engage security officials – the police force and officials of Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) while shooting our films.

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A veteran actor and a frontliner in Kannywood with decades of experience, Mallam Sani Muazu, stated that it is worrisome that cinema owners and industry investors have reduced their investment portfolio in the north because of the tough business terrain and lack of safety of human lives, goods and properties on account of the lingering insecurity in most parts of Northern Nigeria.

“One of the major issues affecting film making in the north is not finance. It is insecurity! There is a huge imbalance in the number of screens in the southern part of Nigeria compared to the northern part of Nigeria, mainly because investors wouldn’t want to come to the north and build cinemas and have multiple screens due to insecurity.

“Insecurity is a huge challenge to investment in filming in the northern part of Nigeria. In the north, a producer dares not invest ten million naira in production as the ROI stares him in the face as the distribution system and exhibition system is not there.”