Nigerian filmakers have been warned by President Muhammadu Buhari against promoting violence and glamourising “sexual vulgarity” in their movies.
Buhari sent the message to the movie industry in a foreword written in a brochure titled “Nigerian Film Industry at a Glance” and published by the Africa Film Academy.
The president urged movie practitioners to endeavour to always project the country in a positive light.
Buhari said: “The Nigerian film industry that is now called Nollywood, in the fashion of the American, Hollywood and Indian, Bollywood started as the effort of a group of enterprising young men and women who traded on their talents and sheer determination without anyone paying attention.
“It has now metamorphosed into a big industry employing thousands of people, contributing to the national Gross Domestic Product and empowering a new generation of creative entrepreneurs.”
“Our government will continue to support the creative sectors of its economy so as to encourage our teeming youths while we enjoin our filmmakers to continue to project the image of Nigeria and the continent of Africa in a positive way through their story lines. Filmmakers should not make films for art sake. Films should be functional and socially relevant.”
“Filmmakers, whether local or those who come here to use our facilities, must however be sensitive to our cultures and religions. They must not glamourise violence or sexual vulgarity in all their forms. They must not promote racism or ethnic superiority or demonise any religion or culture.
“I want to see more films that celebrate our diversity, films that celebrate the achievements of our people, films that promote social causes of right to education, films that tells us the evil of domestic violence against men and women, films that inspire hope and faith in our country and humanity in general. I am confident that Nollywood would go from strength to strength.”