The Director General of the National Institute For Hospitality and Tourism Studies (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Sanni Nura Kangiwa has called on the Ekiti State government to consider the benefits that can accrue to the youths by initiating programs such as cinematography.
In his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Youths Training and Empowerment on Cinematography facilitated by the institute at Ado in Ekiti State, the director general that the training will do the youths of EKITI, a lot of good if the government can invest in the training and empowerment of her youths towards a vibrant movie industry in the state.
Speaking through his representative, Mrs Adenike Raji, the Deputy Director in the institute noted that in Nollywood, we have such clusters as, Lagos, Kano and Enugu. It is my hope that in the nearest future EKITI will be another cluster with the emergence of “”Adowood” .
He noted that with a film village. This village will provide the infrastructure needed by the youths and industry players for a flourishing industry.
‘We all know the benefits that the state of California derives from being the home of Hollywood. In the very near future , Ado EKITI will definitely be in the world map of movie hubs”, he added.
Kangiwa stated that a cinematography training institute with state of the art equipment for the grooming of intending youths who wish to pursue a career in the movie industry.
‘I therefore use this opportunity to call on the state government to look in this direction by going into public private partnership towards nurturing a vibrant film industry in EKITI. It will be a win win situation for both the government and the youths’, he stated
He said “The interest of the state to develop her tourism and creative industry is not in doubt with recent successful hosting of the National Festival of Arts and Culture, (NAFEST). EKITI is blessed with a good landscape as well as abundant talents among her youths. These are the ingredients needed for a boisterous film industry”
The launch of an empowerment fund for prospective movie producers, he said was to provide financial support to the graduates of the institute.
In his welcome address, Barrister Jide Funmilayo, one of the facilitators of the training declared that Nigeria can be better if the interest of youths are adequately taken care of. The major problems faced by all the societies in this country is the problem of joblessness of our youths.
“Therefore, this empowerment will go a long way in resolving this problem. It is a wake up calls to all the well meaning Nigerians to take issue of youths very serious”, he stated.