Award-winning Nollywood filmmaker, Emmanuel Eyaba, has urged State and Local Government to embrace empowerment opportunities that abound in the Nigerian film industry, popularly known as Nollywood, to create jobs for creative Nigerian youths.
He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Eyaba, who is the Project Director of 2ET Media Network, organisers of “Unleash Your Creativity”, annual filmmaking capacity-building reality TV show for youths, said Nollywood is a springboard that could lift youths from unemployment.
”As the nation grapples with increasing youth unemployment, it is high time governments, especially at the state and local government levels, take deliberate steps towards making their localities filmmaking hubs.
He said that organisers of the “Unleash Your Creativity” capacity building show, which has been holding since inception in the Federal Capital Territory, was willing to take the event to the grassroots for enhanced youths participation.
“We will be pitching the project to state and local governments this year to see how more young people can benefit from it.
“Unleash Your Creativity, also known as UUC, is fashioned to capture, nurture, equip and empower industrious and creative youths, thereby cutting down drastically the rising unemployment rate in Nigeria and Africa at large.
“The show uniquely incorporates youth empowerment, tourism development and cultural orientation through filmmaking.
“In this last edition , as we have always done, we had trainings from scriptwriting, costume and make up, acting, YouTube monetization, producing, Cinematography, Direction to Post production.
Eyaba sais 20 young filmmakers were trained in the just concluded edition of the show, which was held in collaboration with the Cross River Government, under its Ministry of Tourism.
He explained that movie production projects were already arranged for the participants with the support of major film production companies in Nigeria.
“In the recently concluded season 6 edition of the show, Nya Margaret emerged as the Best Producer, Uduanya Emmanuel as Best cinematographer and Ukonyi Ukorunyi stood out as the Best scripter.
“Other winners are Young Charles – Best editor, OyiBo Agbero- Best Male Actor, Edna Jones -Best Female Actor , James Anekan- Best Director, and Nya Margaret emerged the Face of UUC 6 .
“These young people will not just become self-employed, but will become employers of labour themselves, and that is the ripple effect of the industry opportunities.
“That is why urge states and local governments especially,to embrace what we are offering as industry if they really want to curb youth unemployment and restiveness,” he said. (NAN)