MOPPAN promises to support NFC

FILM professionals in the 19 Northern states under the aegis of Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN), have promised to partner the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) in getting the Nigerian Film Commission bill, currently before the National Assembly passed.

The newly elected executive members of MOPPAN, led by their president,  Alhaji Abdullahi Maikano Usman, made the promise  during a visit to the NFC headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.

MOPPAN also reeled out a six-point agenda to be accomplished within the shortest possible time and pledged to collaborate with the NFC to succeed.

Usman listed standardisation of the film industry through capacity building and training, fight against piracy and a film festival as some of MOPPAN’s key components in its roadmap for the Nigerian motion picture industry.

MOPPAN, he said, recognised the film sector as a net contributor to the nations GDP, and praised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for placing premium on alternative revenue streams for the nation with emphasis on the film sector.

Usman also said that the association would rely on the expertise, competence and capacity of the National Film Institute & Media Arts Studies, Jos for the training of its members based on the modalities being referred to as the Kano Template in the film industry.

Responding, NFC’s Managing Director, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, praised the association for its visit to Jos.

He described it as a commitment and show of solidarity for the decision of NFC to rejig activities that would ultimately propel the Nigerian film industry to greater heights.

He called on MOPPAN’s leadership to ensure that film production activities across its areas of operations were mainstreamed to positively impact on the region, and on Nigeria.

Maduekwe further assured that the corporation was not resting on its oars, as it had initiated actions towards addressing funding, and other challenges within the sector. The panacea, he said, was the establishment of the Nigerian Film Development Fund (NFDF); and the passage into law, the Nigerian Film Commission Bill.

He added that with these in place complementing other extant legislations, the incidences of piracy, unstructured film industry and unprofessional conduct by practitioners, would be adequately addressed.

The highpoint of the visit was the presentation of state of the Nigerian Film Industry document by MOPPAN, to the corporation.