Bayelsa Film Village To Gulp N20b, As Govt Calls For Private Sector Partnership For Project And 2014 AMAA

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson disclosed at the weekend in Lagos that the proposed Film village would gulp N20 billion and called for Organized Private Sector partnership in the promotion of local talents in the creative industry and sponsorship of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, (AMAA).

Governor Seriake Dickson made the appeal at a Sponsors Night and dinner, which took place at the Civic Centre, in Lagos.

According him, “government hopes to realize its vision of nurturing local talents through the establishment of the film village by working with the private sector and create a suitable environment where actors and actresses from all over the world assemble in the great state of Bayelsa to act their films.”

Governor Dickson, who noted that government has been funding AMAA for the past decade, stressed the inability of government to continue with the funding in view of ongoing reforms in government in the light of present economic realities.

Governor Dickson stressed the need for government to formulate appropriate policies and seek the right collaborations towards making the sponsorship of AMAA sustainable in the future.

In his words: “AMAA is only going to be sustainable if the private sector buys into it; drives the process and guarantees its continuity. Government will not be in the business of directly taking responsibility of funding AMAA that, is not sustainable particularly in the light of present economic challenges.”

Urging corporate organizations and well meaning Nigerians to donate generously to the sponsorship of the academy, the Governor assured donors of the effective management of their funds under a special account and the Bayelsa State Accountant General, the Chief Executive Officer of AMAA and the Director of the Tourism Bureau would be signatories to it.

Chairman of the occasion and Managing Director of First City Monument Bank, Mr. Ladi Balogun, noted that, the event was about the celebration of the arts, creating employment and promoting unity of the country and enjoined all to contribute to the development of creative arts.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of AMAA, Miss Peace Anyiam Osigwe, said over the years, Bayelsa has invested in the future of Nigeria through the creative arts by encouraging and nurturing budding talents, thus contributing to the capacity building of the human resource.

Also speaking, the Director General of the Bayelsa Tourism Development Agency, Mrs Ebizi Brown, highlighted the benefits of the academy, which include training of 500 youths annually in various aspects of the entertainment industry.

She pointed out that AMAA over the years has gained international recognition and has helped to project the tourism potentials of the state.

Chairman of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, retired Major Lancelot Anyanya called for the support of tourism development in Bayelsa and across the country, adding that oil bearing communities make huge sacrifices for the prosperity being enjoyed by all.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State