LAGOS, Nigeria — Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, revealed on Thursday that the much-anticipated groundbreaking ceremony for the ambitious African Film City project, valued at $100 million, in Epe, is set to take place before the end of October. Governor Sanwo-Olu made this announcement during a press conference held at the Government House in Marina, Lagos, where he discussed the upcoming 12th African International Film Festival (AFRIFF).
The African Film City project is designed to significantly boost creativity and originality in content creation within Nollywood, Nigeria’s thriving film industry. The governor emphasized the state’s commitment to supporting the film industry’s growth and development.
Last year, in October 2022, the Lagos State government entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Del-York Group for the construction of this transformative project.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also revealed that the state government plans to enhance its capacity-building support for emerging talents in the industry to help them refine their skills in modern filmmaking. Additionally, grants for filmmakers will be increased to facilitate their operations and promote the creation of high-quality content.
Speaking about the African Film City project, Governor Sanwo-Olu stated, “We have great plans underway. First, we will be doing the groundbreaking for the African Film City before the end of this month. The film city would be on 100 hectares of land in Epe, and it is massive. We just want to take the lead in Lagos State. We are hoping that the first set of studios will be ready from 24 to 30 months right after the groundbreaking. I have been to a few studios in the United States of America, like Prime Studio, Sugarland, and more; they are excited and promised to come down here.”
The governor urged industry professionals to leverage their creativity to produce “Africanized” content that would reshape the socio-cultural narrative of the continent. He stressed that this effort would demonstrate Nigeria’s readiness to the world.
Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed excitement about the forthcoming 12th AFRIFF, stating, “I am excited that the 12th AFRIFF is around the corner to further showcase the original local content to the world. The festival has offered a platform for young talents to flourish. I believe this year’s event will be the biggest. We are excited as a government to be part of it. We believe this is the right thing to do. It is only when we can hold ourselves together and tell our stories that the world will understand our history.”
With the groundbreaking of the African Film City project on the horizon, the Nigerian film industry is poised for a new era of growth and innovation.
