Nollywood one of Nigeria’s strongest economic, diplomatic assets – Envoy
Nollywood one of Nigeria’s strongest economic, diplomatic assets – Envoy
The Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Abubakar Jidda, has described Nollywood as one of Nigeria’s strongest economic and diplomatic assets beyond oil and gas.
Jidda spoke at the North American special screening of Kalakiri, a socio-political blockbuster hosted at St. John’s University on Sunday in New York.
“Nollywood gives Nigeria wider global visibility and demonstrates that Nigerians are industrious, innovative and exceptionally talented,” he said.
Jidda said the Nigerian Government was strengthening the industry through initiatives that would provide a stronger regulatory framework and enable creators to leverage intellectual property assets for financing.
“The creative industry is one of Nigeria’s greatest vehicles for youth empowerment, employment generation and economic diversification,” he said.
Jidda noted that Nigerian music, fashion, culture and Nollywood had become globally recognised symbols of the country’s soft power.
He cited recent performances by Nigerian artistes at the FIFA Club World Cup as evidence of Nigeria’s expanding global cultural influence.
The envoy urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to invest in the country’s creative economy, describing it as “a goldmine many people have yet to fully appreciate.”
He said Kalakiri portrays Nigeria’s difficult transition from prolonged military rule to constitutional democracy and helps preserve Nigeria’s democratic history while projecting positive national narratives internationally.
“We did not simply inherit democracy. We built it through challenges, strengthened institutions and successive democratic transitions,” he said.
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The film is an adaptation of Prisoner of the Kalakiri, a stage play written by Nigerian academic and playwright Prof. Chudi Uwazurike.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Chika Onu, Uwazurike said the production explores themes of democracy, political repression, justice, freedom and national rebirth.
The movie features Segun Arinze, Nancy Isime, Charles Okocha, Caleb Richards, Aisha Mohammed, Akume Akume and more than 100 leading Nollywood actors.
Executive Producer Obi Emekekwue said the production created employment for more than 500 people, including actors, writers, technicians, artisans and other crew members.
Emekekwue was a one-time North America Bureau Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) before joining the UN and later, the African Export-Import Bank, becoming its Director and Global Head of Communications.
“We engaged over 100 actors and hundreds of production personnel, demonstrating Nollywood’s enormous capacity for job creation,” Emekekwue said.
He said the producers deliberately released the movie around June 12 to coincide with Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration.
“The story revolves around political emancipation and democracy, making June 12 the most appropriate period for its release,” he said.
Emekekwue said North America was selected for the special screening because of its large Nigerian and African Diaspora population.
He noted that many members of the Diaspora could personally relate to the historical experiences portrayed in the film.
He said Kalakiri would be submitted to major international film festivals and discussions were underway to secure distribution through major streaming platforms, including Netflix, to reach wider international audiences.
The North American screening attracted diplomats, including Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari, academics, members of the Nigerian and African Diaspora, students and movie enthusiasts.
