August 21, 2014 – A world class film village that would change the face of film production and the film industry in Nigeria is to be established in Delta State with the State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan already set to provide land for commencement of the project.
Uduaghan explained that the construction of a film village in Delta State was in line with his administration’s human capital development and would also serve as encouragement to the Nigerian film industry which he described as mirroring the ills of the society and marketing the country to the world.
The Governor who spoke during a courtesy visit on him in Asaba by the Delta-born veteran film producer, Chief Eddie Ugbomah, observed that Delta State was playing key roles in the entertainment industry as most of the Nigerian actors, actresses, comedians, musicians, including journalists were either Deltans or have links to the state.
He reiterated that his administration was investing in different areas, especially, in the area of tourism, noting that the film village was based on the fact that Delta State remained Nigeria’s entertainment hub and pre-eminent destination for film producers and actors.
Uduaghan commended Chief Ugbomah for producing films on the gains and challenges of the oil industry, adding that such films were in line with his administration’s Delta Beyond Oil programme.
“Some of your films like the Oil Doom and the Black Gold are in tandem with our development model of Delta Beyond Oil,” Governor Uduaghan said, adding, “they expose the negative aspects of crude oil because an oil economy is not a sustainable economy, it has its challenges.”
He emphasized, “though, we are oil producing state, we are using the oil money to develop other areas of the economy, so, we associate with the ideals of your films.”
Uduaghan congratulated Chief Ugbomah on his 74th birthday and 50th anniversary as a film producer and assured him of his administration’s assistance in the establishment of a gallery in the state.
Earlier Chief Ugbomah, accompanied by his colleagues in the film industry, had informed the Governor that he was celebrating his 74th birthday and 50th anniversary as a film producer and appealed to the Governor for land to establish a film village in the state.
