A SPEECH DELIVERED BY CHIEF MIKE AUDU, CEO, ADIKU GLOBAL LIMITED IN THE PRESS BRIEFING FOR NOOLYWOOD CITY (FILM VILLAGE) HELD ON 19TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2010 AT NANET SUITES, ABUJA.

Distinguished actors and actresses of the Nollywood Industry
Highly respected members of the vibrant Nigerian Press
Ladies and gentlemen

It is my honour to welcome you all to this very important occasion. I’m particularly pleased to host these highly celebrated stars of the Nigerian entertainment industry. This is because these celebrities have not only contributed to the economic advancement of the country, they have also helped to launder Nigerian image abroad.

We are all aware of the rapid growth of the Nollywood industry through the industriousness of the industry’s practitioners. Today, the Nigeria’s Nollywood Industry is the third largest film industry in the world after the Hollywood of America and the Bollywood of India. Our actors and actresses and all other stakeholders in the industry have proven their mettle in the profession and the result speaks for itself.  The industry has created diverse job opportunities for several categories of Nigerians. It has also helped to boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and impacted greatly on the overall development of Nigeria’s social-cultural environment.

Sadly though, while this industry is growing in both quality and quantity, the stakeholders of the industry are not well accorded the kind of attention they need considering their strategic roles in nation building. Take for instance, the Hollywood stars and the Bollywood stars have their distinct locations. The Hollywood is located in Los Angeles while the Bollywood is located in Mumbai. Where is Nollywood located? Nowhere. It therefore suffices to say that the Nollywood is a floating industry without a base. Our actors and actresses are scattered all over the country from where they go to locations when ever there is shooting.  The implications of these are enormous and the danger it poses for the sustainability of the industry is grievous.

That is why Adiku Global Limited, in conjunction with the Actors Guild of Nigeria has taken the bold step to build the NOLLYWOOD CITY, (Film Village) here in Abuja. The Nollywood City is mirrored after the Hollywood of America where modern accommodation and working facilities would be provided for the Nollywood stars.  The idea behind the Nollywood City is to give the industry an image befitting its status. The City will bring the celebrities closer and unite them further for the growth of the industry.

Apart from living accommodations, the Nollywood City will also offer facilities in all facets of film productions. Both indoor and outdoor shooting sceneries would be provided within the city. With the Nollywood city, the stress movie practitioners go through by travelling from their different locations to the location sites would be drastically reduced. Also, the cost of movie production would be reduced.

The estate would be located in Logongoma area of the Federal Capital Territory.  It is cited on 240 hectares of land with the plan of developing 15,000 housing units. The houses will be developed in three phases, each phase comprising of 5,000 housing units. We are here to unveil the first set of 5,000 housing units which will commence shortly. The houses would comprise 2 bedroom flats, three bedroom flats and four bedroom flats. There will also be three, four and five bedrooms duplexes.

The Nollywood City has provisions for shopping mall, worship centres, schools, multipurpose and conference halls, cafeteria, library, fuel stations, swimming pools, police and fire service posts and recreational areas. Each housing unit will be self-sufficient in the most functional way and for convenience; it will be a short walk away from nearby facilities.

The construction of the Nollywood City is part of Adiku Global’s way of complementing government’s efforts in providing decent housing facilities for the citizens. Government has emphasized the need for private sector participation in infrastructure development. Government can not do it all alone. The private sector operators have a duty to play vital role in providing basic facilities that will move this country forward. This is what we are doing through the Nollywood City.

We are particularly grateful to the Actors Guild of Nigeria for the enormous support they have given us in ensuring that this dream becomes a reality. At the conception stage of this idea, when ever will call upon the guild, they are always there for us. We sincerely express our gratitude.

And to all you seated here, we appreciate you for coming. We called upon you and you answered us. Once again, we are grateful and thanks for listening.

Chief Mike Audu
CEO, ADIKU GLOBAL LIMITED