Veteran and upcoming Nollywood Movie Stars, toured around the infrastructure projects of Governor Alex Otti in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia state and hailed the governor for his massive impact.
This is even as the governor assured of his administration’s commitment to supporting the creative industry and positioning Abia as a major hub for film production, entertainment, tourism, and cultural promotion.
Governor Otti made this known yesterday in his office while receiving a delegation of Nollywood practitioners led by Mr Francis Ifeakandu, who is currently working on a film, The Chronicles of Enyimba City, an Aba-made film project that has begun casting for the epoch-making movie.
The visit, which is equally a homecoming for the Aba and Abia-born Nollywood movie stars, saw the actors and actresses touring round almost all the major projects executed by Governor Alex Otti in Aba, as well as some ongoing ones.
Otti commended the team members for their resilience, creativity, and dedication to producing a film project that seeks to showcase the rich cultural heritage, history, and development of Abia State, especially Aba, the Enyimba city.
He described the initiative as timely and one that aligns with his administration’s vision of promoting investment, tourism, and economic growth through the creative sector.
He said, “I am always careful about the promises I make. I assured you of support, and that support remains available. Government will continue to provide an enabling environment and work with stakeholders to ensure that initiatives capable of promoting Abia and creating opportunities for our people succeed.”
Drawing from his personal experience in the film industry, the governor recalled his involvement as a movie producer in the 1990s, emphasising his understanding of the challenges and opportunities within Nollywood.
Otti further disclosed that his administration is actively pursuing plans to establish an entertainment city in Aba, a project designed to provide world-class infrastructure and facilities for filmmakers, creative professionals, and investors in the entertainment industry.
According to him, the government has already commenced necessary processes, including land acquisition and compensation, to bring the project to reality.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and the producer of the upcoming film, The Chronicles of Enyimba City, Mr Francis Ifeakandu, expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for his continued support of the project and his transformative leadership across the state.
He informed the governor that the production team had successfully conducted auditions across all local government areas of Abia State and extended the exercise to neighbouring states and cities.
Ifeakandu noted that the project, described by industry consultants as one of the largest film productions in Africa, is designed to tell the story of Abia, promote its culture, and project its positive image to the global audience.
He revealed that the film project features over 2,000 cast and is structured into six seasons with five episodes each, capturing various aspects of the state’s history, culture, tourism potential, and developmental strides.
He commended Governor Otti’s infrastructural achievements, particularly the transformation of key roads and public facilities, noting that members of the visiting Nollywood team who had not visited Abia for a long time were impressed by the remarkable changes they witnessed during their tour of the state.
The producer appealed for continued government support towards the successful completion of the film project, stressing that the film would not only restore Abia’s historical prominence in Nigeria’s movie industry but also generate employment opportunities and attract investments into the state.
Earlier during their tour of the road infrastructure in Aba, veteran actor and director Obi Okoli, who grew up in the Ogbor Hill area of Aba, said that he could not recognise what he saw, as almost all the old creeks like Pepples Road, Gravel Avenue and Emelogu Road are now opened up for people and business.
“The roads I walked on as a little boy are now mega towns. I’ll advise other governors to take a trip to Abia and see how it’s done; let them come and see transformation.”
Deputy Vice Chancellor Gregory University, Prof. Uwaoma Uche, a member of the production team, described the movie as a panoramic view of Aba as a city, its origin and all the things that make it tick.
“You should know that the origin of anything called Nollywood today, is Aba. So, it’s a homecoming for all of them to be here, and we’re going to tell the story of how they all started here. So, whatever that makes Aba tick is what the movie is all about.”
Sharon Ifedi, a Nollywood actress who equally grew up in Aba, said that she’s shocked to see the amount of changes in the city.
Miss Ifedi said that before she left the city, the movie industry in Aba was very shaky. Aba wasn’t looking this beautiful back then.
“I’m happy to see what the governor has put in place in this short while – too much improvement, I must confess.”
She recounted her childhood in a city richly blessed but marred by poor road infrastructure that made it impossible for her career to blossom unless she sought alternative places.
“I saw Port Harcourt Road, I could recognize it. It was like a lake because we lived around that Port Harcourt Road axis. I wasn’t really the type that moved around back then,” she said
