Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr R Masudur Rahman and Alhaji Adedayo Thomas NFVCB Executive Director |
Rahman made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the
Headquarters of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) on Tuesday in
Abuja.
The Envoy, who was received by the Executive Director/CEO of
the Board, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, and his management team, said the visit was
to build relationship with the NFVCB.
According to him, such collaboration will further strengthen
bilateral relationship between the two countries and also serve as a platform
to further expose and grow both countries film industries.
He said it would also promote exchange and transfer of
cultural heritage.
He said that both Nigeria and Bangladesh, as common wealth
countries, had a lot of similarities in their journey to independence, history
and culture.
The Envoy added that collaboration in motion pictures would
offer opportunities in telling their stories together.
“Bangladesh and Nigeria have a lot of commonalities; as we
are both secular countries colonized by the British, and then with similar
historic and cultural heritage.
“Many Nigerians are going to Bangladesh for education,
sport, and now I want us to strengthen our relationship through film and
culture,” he said.
The High Commissioner noted that the Nigerian story and
culture as showcased through Nollywood films were widely accepted in his
country.
He said that the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation
would be willing to champion collaborations in acting, production, distribution
and capacity building.
Thomas, in his remarks, expressed delight in the High Commissioner’s
visit and pledged the board’s willingness to work with him.
He said that NFVCB regulated films and video industry in
Nigeria.
He noted that the Nigerian film industry had grown
exponentially over the last decade as the industry was no longer for
entertainment alone, but had offered great investment opportunities.
The executive director said that the board under his watch
was willing to champion collaborations between stakeholders in the Nigeria film
industry and their foreign counterparts.
He, however, decried the high rate of piracy as a major bane
facing the evolving Nigerian moving industry, especially with the emergence of
digital distribution platforms.
“All the foreign films that are being sold in our markets
today did not pass through censorship and classification.
“So, they are illegal and the board has been carrying out
raids to sanitise our industry of such products.
“Collaboration such as this will present the right
opportunity for both countries to legally distribute their films.
“I strongly believe that government would provide policies
and enabling environment for players in the industry and that is what President
Buhari has done through the “Ease of Doing Business initiative”.
“As a board, we will facilitate a meeting that will kick
start the process, where our filmmakers will link your professionals for a
co-productions and other collaborations,” he said.
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