Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria, Masud ur Rahman, has called for collaboration in film making between his country’s movie industry and Nigeria’s Nollywood.
Masud ur Rahman made this call when he paid a courtesy visit to the Headquarters of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) in Abuja.
He 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.
He says 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 in a statement that “Bangladesh and Nigeria have a lot in common; both are secular countries colonized by the British, and then with similar historic and cultural heritage.
“With a steadily riding number of Nigerians visiting Bangladesh for education, and sport, it is no surprise that Masud ur Rahman will seek a stronger relationship through film and culture.”
The High Commissioner noted that the Nigerian story and culture as showcased through Nollywood films are widely accepted in Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi 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.
Nigeria’s film industry has grown exponentially over the last decade as the industry no longer offers entertainment products alone, but now offers an even wider range of investment opportunities.
He, however, decried the high rate of piracy, a major bane facing the dynamic Nigerian movie industry, particularly with the emergence of digital distribution platforms.
“Collaboration such as this will present the right opportunity for both countries to legally distribute their films.
He expressed optimism in the fact that the government will provide policies and an enabling environment for players in the industry like 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 co-productions and other collaborations,” he said.